I saw these guys yesterday...  8-)

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_fXpT7EhqPZA/TOm0DmOq2WI/AAAAAAAAAns/JJ-MJYeWn2U/s640/IMG_20101120_131508.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_fXpT7EhqPZA/TOm0D4d7KjI/AAAAAAAAAnw/2h2TJMNoWyI/s512/IMG_20101120_131520.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_fXpT7EhqPZA/TOm0ENyJvYI/AAAAAAAAAn0/YvoZ6h8MmSg/s512/IMG_20101120_131127.jpg

The caption underneath the panels reads "Assyrian slingers in action, about 700-692 BC From Nineveh, South-West Palace"

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http://lh6.ggpht.com/_fXpT7EhqPZA/TOm1mziJy8I/AAAAAAAAAoA/f6WNBixymz0/s640/IMG_20101120_131735.jpg

The ammo is big, three fingerwidths across and a bit squarish. It looks to have been made from square blocks of stone with their corners knocked off and generally rounded. Serious ammo by anyones standards.

Fascinating! I wonder how accurate the portrayal is, ie. could they really stand so close to each other and did they really grip the slings so short with several inches of release cord out past the fist. I assume the coordination, with all of them in exactly the same position, is artistic licence. This engraving shows more detail, pictures often seem to show the sling as if it was only a single cord; such a sling would be impossible to release.

Cute how they included the replica sling next to the slingstones in the last photo. But with commercially made twisted rope for the cords?

The cord trailing out below the hand has a definite taper to it. I reckon it has to be a cracker. A couple of hundred slings cracking simultaneously would be a very impressive battlefield noise!

At Edinburgh Paleo Skills Weekend I was in a speed shootout with two archers. I was in the middle with an archer two long paces away on each side of me. Using the Vertical Greek style it was plenty of room.

I agree, a group of slinger all cracking their slings at once would give a very impressive noice, especially if they fired at a regular pace instead of individually.

I think how close the slingers look is just the art of the time. most artists back then werent the best at showing 3d, and as you said, the smaller details.
Having said that though, I do reckon, depending on your style, slingers could stand reasonably close together. Doing a figure 8 lob throw, I would need much more than a metre either side and perhaps 2m front and back of me. Im sure they would have had more room, but for just basic lobbing slinging (which is what most of warfare probably was), you dont need that much room I dont think.

Nemo

What's the ancient sling next to the ammo ? As Aussie said, modern cordage, OK. But is this an ancient woven pouch ?

Part of the ongoing "how many slings survive from antiquity" theme

The whole sling is modern.

Oh, too bad. How's it made ?

David Morningstar wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 5:11am:

The cord trailing out below the hand has a definite taper to it. I reckon it has to be a cracker. A couple of hundred slings cracking simultaneously would be a very impressive battlefield noise!

Sorry, what? :P

That is what strikes me - the actually very small sling and that excess trailing cord. Better accuracy (maybe) but limited range and power - heck, just throw it! ;D

WirocuDurotrigon wrote on Dec 8^th, 2010 at 11:29am:

David Morningstar wrote on Nov 22nd, 2010 at 5:11am: The cord trailing out below the hand has a definite taper to it. I reckon it has to be a cracker. A couple of hundred slings cracking simultaneously would be a very impressive battlefield noise! Sorry, what? :P

The fall and cracker are the tapered part at the end of a whip and the widened tip respectively, which help the whip make its cracking sound. In slinging we call a tapered release cord a cracker because it has the same effect.

Given the size and weight of the ammo. I'm guessing what they have there is staff sling ammo.
Plus the length of the slings depicted is most likely more for artistic licence that realism.

For repetitive barrage slinging with large rocks you'd either use a fairly long sling (so the sling does the work) or use  astaff sling.

The sling in the display case looks like it's been made to the same size as those on the tablet.
So - personally - i'd say not very realistic.

I do like the idea of pistol shot slings though.

That noise followed by the angry bee swarm noise of a sling stone apporaching would put the wind up even the bravest soldier.
And with moulded sling bullets you don't see them coming just hear them (And I do know that from first hand experience :-)

I don't think there's any evidence for staff slings before the Roman empire. These seem the "fist-sized stones' which near eastern slingers like to throw. Remembering some of Rockman's vids, i'd say-- 200 gr per stone ? More ? Slingable by hand, no ?

Anyway you must be right that the relief shows the slings too short for real warslings.

I think the bas relief is attempting to show masses of slingers and using quite a bit of "artistic license" in the depeiction. There's every reason to believe the slinger's were spaced further apart, but the sculptor didn't have the roon to do it. Looking at it from this angle, we need to realize what's being depicted is a mass of slingers working in unison.

In the thrird picture down, do I detect what could be piles of slingstones at the feet of the slingers? If so, it seems to indicate these fellows intended on staying in place. Perhaps the relief depicts a battle in which the Assyrians were defending a fixed location.

They were attacking a fixed location, the city of Lachish.

I just thought it was interseting they weren't carrying their bullets, but rather had them piled on the ground at their feet. This is really interesting since I had never noticed this detail before.

It also looks like they are carrying a reload in their off hand.

It instantly help me realize just how trained they must have been. It busts the image of individual slingers just slinging randomly,instead they probably were trained to sling with uniform moves like take rock from the ground,one in the sling,one in the other hand,one slinging style,perhaps fig 8,reload the sling with the rock in the not slinging hand( this saves time with not having to bend down after 2 shots) also the stone in the other hand may act as a small counterweight. They were probably slinging all at once.With a fig 8 or a similar style they could all sling within a second or two.Imagine the enemy standing and suddenly hundreds of child fists size stones raining down within 1-2 seconds. 5-10 seconds later another shower...

There are times when I wish I had a time machine at my disposal. I'd bet a dime to your dollar watching a mass of slingers in action had to be an impressive sight.

we'd probably thank god,we don't have to experience that (again)..well some people still experience war in another form,different scenery,same energies.

Believe me...it hasn't changed too much besides the weaponry.

Yep,that's what i meant with the same energies..same pain,same hate,same suffering  :-[

That is some impressive ammo. Imagine how much chiseling work it would have taken to equip an army with those.
(Most ancient art is highly stylized, so I don't think the depiction was intended to be overly realistic.)

The ammo on display looks crudely made, rock split into cubes and then having the corners chiselled off until it is roughly round. Much less work than an arrow and hits a heck of a lot harder.