Guess what ... an ammunition

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

...and some roman ones with a wooden mold. also shows two 'thumb' projectiles, thumb stuck in clay, then lead poured in.

You mean replicas of Roman examples, Wayne ? Looks like both glands and molds have been made last Saturday .

[Philip]

Very good replicas indeed! Attaining accuracy with a sling is undoubtedly a good way to develop hand-eye coordination. This sort of exercise might just be the thing to get children off the couch and away from electronics on a sunny weekend More appealing than piano lessons, don't you think?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Philip

... Very good replicas indeed!...

Although a bit puzzling, Philip.
According to studies made, and also some rare phisical evidence, moulds were made of clay (terracota) as per fragments found both in Phanagoria (now in the Hermitage) and Olynthos, this one made out of an amphora handle. In any case, the example i posted was not made by pouring lead into such bivalve moulds but by hammer beating portions of lead plate.

Originally Posted by Philip

...Attaining accuracy with a sling is undoubtedly a good way to develop hand-eye coordination. This sort of exercise might just be the thing to get children off the couch and away from electronics on a sunny weekend More appealing than piano lessons, don't you think?...

You are not kiding. After consistent period chronicles, the inhabitants of the Baleares Islands (Maiorca, Ibiza, etc), were massively mercenaries which weapon consisted in sling shot, having being recruited by Greeks and Romans to serve in their military formations. They were said to be the best and, the secret was teaching this art to their children by only giving them food when they managed to hit it with their slings at a distance varying as per their age. Actually the name Baleares comes from the latin Baliarides, because their inhatitants were skilled in 'throwing stones with slings'.


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[kronckew]

Originally Posted by fernando

You mean replicas of Roman examples, Wayne ? Looks like both glands and molds have been made last Saturday .

i found them via google, i am assuming the wooden mold is recent and they have not been polishing old bullets. they are representative of other ancient ones tho. experimental archaeology.

a more thorough googling found a bunch of better and somewhat older examples: acorn & whistlers, old thumbs, scorpio & bird (?), flower power, and a horde of roman shot found in situ near a scottish hill fort, Burnswark Hill, in the Dumfries region of southwest Scotland, that they were attacking.

...and now the science, more experimental archaeology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MB7M27WnG0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vJBKfQFD8I

[fernando]

Originally Posted by kronckew

...and now the science, more experimental archaeology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MB7M27WnG0 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vJBKfQFD8I

Wayne, i was expecting more from you . These movies are rather virtual: the guy is using a 'sling cannon' instead of the real thing. Probably he is afraid to fail the shot and hit the forehead (or other area) of the guy next to him. ... and only he could hear the hollow gland whistle ... with a pass to my current hard hear .
And from the three options offered by the scholar for the whistle purpose, i guess i would elect the psychological (scaring) one.



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