Mould for the casting of sling bullets

The sling was used as a weapon throughout antiquity. Traditionally, sling-shots were made of stone. But in the 5th century BC, a new type of lead sling bullet was introduced. The lead bullets weighted 30-80 gr. and could be thrown over more than 100 meters.

This is part of a double bronze mould for casting lead sling-bullets. It has conduits and cavities for the pouring of metal, small dowels for attaching to the other half, and a handle on the back side.

Molten lead was poured from the top and filled the cavities. At the bottom of each cavity a name in genitive is inscribed (ΤΙΜΩΝΟΣ). Such inscriptions could have denoted the name of the officer who was responsible for the casting, the commander of the military unit, the general, or the king himself.

PUBLICATION
Empereur J.-Y. 1981. ‘Collection Paul Canellopoulos (XVII). Petits objets inscrits’, Bulletin de correspondance hellénique 105, 537-568, esp. 555.