Thearos wrote on Mar 2
nd, 2009 at 5:50pm:
It got mixed reviews; some pretty enthusiastic.
One of Rihll's arguments is that hand slings cannot develop the necessary velocity to penetrate the human body-- and hence that mentions of lead bullets being extracted from flesh (Celsus, etc) must describe projectiles launched by small catapults: the weights are compatible, and the size would fit small engines (such as those known from Ephyra, a site in NW Greece, where the washers from the catapult spring housings have been found).
I know this is a favorite topic on this forum-- velocity of sling projectiles. It's clear that Thom Richardson's results are not good (not experienced slinger, and he has trying hard to shoot through the speed gun's window). Did anyone ever try slinging lead at one of those ballistic jelly blocks ? Or even at a pig carcass ?
I can't recall anyone reporting results against pig carcases - I suppose that's quite an investment for amateurs such as us around here.
The figures to be found in the academic literature with regard to sling velocity seem to be in such error as to be laughable. Unfortunately they appear to have become accepted as fact. Fundamentally they are in total conflict with reported distances, which require substantially higher launch velocities. There are considerable complexities in the ballistics of slings and sling bullets, but none which can reconcile initial velocities of 30-40m/s with distances of 200m or more, certainly not when lead bullets are involved.
The velocity figures of around 30 to 35m/s deserve to be firmly and repeatedly stamped upon until those using such figures take notice! I think it extremely unfortunate that Korfmann's oft quoted article in Scientific American contained a similarly ridiculous figure, which may have been a piece of mistaken 'correction' by the editors.
Clearly the sling requires considerable skill, but quite a number on this forum reach velocities of the order of 50m/s and higher. It seems to me not unlikely that even half decent slingers of antiquity exceeded these values considerably, although perhaps their greatest superiority was in terms of accuracy.
As far as the penetration matter, it may well be that this was not the norm, but I think it is fairly well agreed among experienced members of this forum that such ellipsoidal bullets can be thrown consistently point first. Perhaps this is the nub of Xenophon's mention of the Rhodian's special skill? The spin imparted from the sling would stabilize their flight to some extent.
Although I havn't read the arguments on the matter of catapult ammunition, how were the bullets stabilized when presumably they were not given spin around their longitudinal axis? Did they have some additional parts now lost?