Stumbled across yet another candidate for a mislabeled sling. This time in the report "Excavations at 1 Westgate Street, Gloucester 1975.
  Authors are C.M Heighway, A.P. Garrod, A.G. Vince.
  In a find dating from the late Anglo Saxon period, they describe " Diamond piece of leather, 70 x40 mm, well tanned leather. 4 central holes are decorative, and the holes at either end have been stretched from use."  
  Their conclusion, a hairslide.
  archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/arch.../23_159_213.pdf  
    
 
  Let's see what people think.

OK, the way I found it is to search for Excavations at 1 Westgate st Gloucester 1975. The article is a pdf
 It is 57 pages. the object in question is in the end section under leather findings. Mostly the article is on ceramic findings.

Thanks! My conclusion, a sling pouch with non-decorative center holes to help seat the stone.

Let me go back to my notes this artifact may already be described as a sling. I do remember that Gloucester has an excavated sling. But not real sure where I got the information from. Take a look at the dates this document is from 1975.
 
Now none of this is to be taken as a jab at badger. I have the fullest amount of respect for him and his work.
 
Marc Adkins

Doubtfull for lead, at least if the current assigned date is accurate. Badger pretty much documented that lead projectiles went out during the Roman Republic era. Now maybe the rest of the article gives us a clue. it could have been used to cast dried clay bullets, not for a wartime use but for small game hunting or  scaring away predators and pests.  I am going to be working on sun dried clay once some crap in my life stabilises. Easier now that I am back in the land of red clay
 
Quote from Fundibularius on Mar 7^th, 2011, 2:44pm:

least they can't call it a shoe tongue this time.

Nope
 
Marc Adkins
 
Quote from slingbadger on Mar 8^th, 2011, 3:13pm:

The shape looks right, but the size does make me wonder.