Are these actually firebombs or...?

broadaxe · 4th March 2012, 10:08 PM

This has been a ong time debate and still is. To my own opinion they are bombs; were found in various historic battle grounds from about 8th century AD to the 15th century - the late Mameluke period. Same basic pattern was first use as a greek fire container/bomb and the later pattern like this one was possible a grenade, filled with black powder, hence they have thick walls.
Examples from Israel: during the excavation of the crusader citadel of Beth She'an (mid 13th century), tens of thousands of shards were found in the surrounding moat.
A large amount of unused clay bombs was found underwater, within cargo of pure military intent - helmets, cannons, on a wreck of a ~1450 Mameluke ship.
Much recently, wild boars uncovered one from the mud while sniffing for food in the bush (local nature reserve rangers found it), under the huge Ayyubic fortress remains of Qal'at Namrud.
They can be white, black, brown, reddish and even green-glazed, not to mention the glass type, plain and decorated.

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4th March 2012, 10:08 PM	#1
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	This has been a ong time debate and still is. To my own opinion they are bombs; were found in various historic battle grounds from about 8th century AD to the 15th century - the late Mameluke period. Same basic pattern was first use as a greek fire container/bomb and the later pattern like this one was possible a grenade, filled with black powder, hence they have thick walls. Examples from Israel: during the excavation of the crusader citadel of Beth She'an (mid 13th century), tens of thousands of shards were found in the surrounding moat. A large amount of unused clay bombs was found underwater, within cargo of pure military intent - helmets, cannons, on a wreck of a ~1450 Mameluke ship. Much recently, wild boars uncovered one from the mud while sniffing for food in the bush (local nature reserve rangers found it), under the huge Ayyubic fortress remains of Qal'at Namrud. They can be white, black, brown, reddish and even green-glazed, not to mention the glass type, plain and decorated.