I purchased these on ebay, and I thought I'd share some pictures. The auction listing said they were Balearic/Iberian. I'm not sure how they were identified, but they are nice artifacts in any case. I got them for show and tell, and to take measurements from if I ever get around to casting some reproductions.

http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/images/ammunition/leadshot1.jpg

http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/images/ammunition/leadshot2.jpg

http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/images/ammunition/leadshot3.jpg

-Timothy Potter

Maybe Thearos can tell you more about their authenticity. He has probably seen and examined more old glandes than the rest of us together.

Fundibularius is very kind-- I've looked at some Greek ones, no Roman ones. The problem with antiquities trade is that even if something's authentic, you never know for sure where it's from. This is true for a $75,000 scultpture or a $75 lead bullet. So yes, these look authentic (what's their weight ?), if rather worn (I've seen such bullets in far better shape, so handle them with care-- gloves), but "Balearic" provenance has to be taken with a pinch of salt-- it may well be a seller doing a bit of research, finding out tha Balearic slingers were famous, and hey presto, calling them "Balearic" in the hope of selling them.

Likewise, a lot of sling bullets sold in the C19th were said to come from Marathon, the site of the famous battle of the Greeks against the Persians in 490-- but this is impossible, since the sling bullet was not used in Greece before the fourth century.

Sling bullets found in quantities usually mean a battle. Examples.

The shrine of Apollo Pythios and the "Klepsydra" well near the Akropolis, sling bullets in fill-- datable to siege operations of 86.

Sling bullets of the Aitolians (Central Greece) found at Numantia in Spain: auxiliaries fighting with the Romans against the Celtiberians

Sling bullets of the Macedonians and the Chalkidians at Olynthos: siege of 348 BC (very famous body of material-- part of the successful wars of Philip II, Alexander's father).

Siege bullets with obscene mottos found at Perugia: traces of the siege of 43 BC.

etc.

That's just to say that when you know where the bullets are from, usually it says something interesting historically. Of course, when found in archaeological digs, the things then go either into store rooms, or into museums-- and you can't handle them.

The sling bullets from Philip's war (Olynthos, but also Stageira and other N. Greek cities) are exposed in two Greek museums: the Archaeological Museum in THessaloniki, and the Archaeological Museum in Polygiros.

By the way, Timothy: beautiful sling-- I assume a braided pouch, with the outer warp strands somehow held into place to produce this great lozenge shape ?

Thearos,

Thanks for the information, it's really interesting. I knew when I bought the glandes that the details might or might not be completely accurate, but I moslty just wanted some samples of glandes, and the price was the lowset I could find since the two came together.


Thearos wrote on May 20^th, 2009 at 7:52pm:

(what's their weight ?)

I don't have a very accurate scale, but the smaller one is about 1 oz. and the larger one is about 1 1/4 oz.


Thearos wrote on May 20^th, 2009 at 7:52pm:

By the way, Timothy: beautiful sling-- I assume a braided pouch, with the outer warp strands somehow held into place to produce this great lozenge shape ?

I actually have instructions for making this sling on my website, so you can see all the details.

http://www.seekyee.com/Slings/howtos/woven1.htm

-Timothy Potter

Wow, very smart.

Thats a superb sling tutorial. I have a three wax glandes waiting for me to turn them into lead glandes somehow:)

Yes, great tutorial, Timothy. Seems like even I will be able to make a beautiful sling with it. ;D