This has probably been on here before, but these French blog posts detailing a possible ambush site where hundreds of sling bullets were rained down on two crossing points. As it says, it's not a confirmed ambush (no bodies were found, just the bullets), but it is a pretty compelling argument that's presented. These sorts of scenarios must have played out thousands of times throughout history as it's the perfect use for a sling. Surprise attack on a group that is concentrated in one area: the perfect ambush.

https://nicolas-constans.net/2014-02-18-un-guet-apens-en-bord-de-seine-a-lage-du-bronze/

Google does a pretty good job at translating it. Here is a bit more about the bullets themselves:

https://nicolas-constans.net/guet-apens-de-lage-du-bronze-quelques-complements/

https://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1542975340/0

I even commented on that topic! Man, my memory is terrible :D

Hello,
I did a study on the size of these slingstones, with the agreement of the archeologists. For the moment, they have not yet published all their works. So, I'm not talking about.
Archeologists are exciting people but they don't yet have experience in the sling. I think they have not yet realized the richness of their discovery.
I thank them very much and I learned a lot with them and their scientific approach.
I let you know and all your comments will be welcome.

Excavations began in 2010 or 2011. The goal was to study 10 000 years of evolution on the banks of the river. The discovery of the "village" of the bronze age is a coincidence.
I don't know if the excavations are finished but in 2019 and 2020, archeologists work about it.

That's amazing to hear! I can't wait to see what you have to say on it. Glad I rediscovered this now :D

Of what I understood, on the same site, the archeologists have discovered :
a fort on the river to protect from Viking invasions.
the "village" of the age of bronze.
a neolithic occupation.
a paleolithic encampment.

Today, it's an aggregate quarry.
I find that absolutely crazy.

are those chalk glandes ?

Also very interesting that they were glandes and not spheres.
http://itools.com/tool/google-translate-web-page-translator

Just post the links there.


Quote:

archaeologists have reached forty to eighty meters

. 
lol and that's why archaeologists should always go and find an actual slinger :whistle:

So soaked chalk.
Interesting.

Curious Aardvark wrote on Jul 14^th, 2021 at 12:19pm:

are those chalk glandes ? Also very interesting that they were glandes and not spheres. http://itools.com/tool/google-translate-web-page-translator Just post the links there. Quote: archaeologists have reached forty to eighty meters .  lol and that's why archaeologists should always go and find an actual slinger :whistle: So soaked chalk. Interesting.

I wasn’t too surprised about the shape, the biconical shape has evolved independently in a number of places (Mediterranean, Oceania, West coast of North America, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, and this). That’s just what I know of off the top of my head
Who knows if there are more?

Yes, this is chalk, Curious Aardvark.
Hirtius, everything you can find on the Net is approximatively already quoted on this forum.

This photo is very interesting.

---

Any idea what weight those chalk glandes are.
both dry and when soaked ?

Also, how long would a soaked chalk glande stay wet and heavy for ?

Would you need to launch the ambush from somewhere you had  a supply of water. Or could you soak them in the morning and still use them wet in the afternoon and evening ?

That's the sort of thing archaeologists should be finding out :-)

Anyone live near chalk downs or a chalk cliff ?
I don't think there's anything around the english midlands.
But would love to see how the above experiments work out.

It's been brought up on the forum before about unglazed clay being soaked before use.
Don't think anyone has done the weigh and soak experiments on that either.
Or if so i definitely missed it.

be interesting to know the ins and outs of using soaked ammo though.

I live two hours away and I haven't found the opportunity to go yet. Probably later.
For the picture :
there are two biconic : one with a neat finish and one with a raw appearance.
and three egg-shapped : one with a neat finish and two with a raw appearance.
All these slingstones were used and it's an important detail.

Wish we had stones around here that weighed enough to sling effectively but could still be easily shaped. We have tons of clay and virtually no stones. Im also curious as to how much they weigh in comparison to something like granite.

Try making some unglazed fired glandes Morphy, and see if you can soak some weight into them.

Harden them off in a normal oven or BBQ.
Our ancestors would most likely have put them in a fire, not an actual kiln. So shouldn't need real high temperature curing.

Ive got a big fire pit in the backyard just waiting for clay.  :) unfortunately I find myself having to carefully choose which projects I focus on. Too many projects. Two that I find really interesting are primitive slingshots and another more fiendish project which is yet to be revealed!! Insert muahahah here.

torsion slingshot ?
Wonder if you can get sinew from slaughterhouses these days ?
(I don't need one, I don't need one, i don't need one......)

Archeological excavations continue. So, the publications of results are for about three years.
Patience again.
:-[ :-[ :-[