Preface
9/13/04
There are few weapons in history that can match the sling’s longevity and geographical distribution. Scholars believe the sling was developed as early as thirty thousand years ago, during the late Paleolithic. Because of the sling’s simplicity, it is one of the few technological developments that can be developed as the result of unskilled, local innovation. More complicated weapons required craftsmanship by specialist artisans, a hallmark of civilization. However, a sling can be made by anyone, from a variety of raw materials, and be useful in almost any environment. This versatility caused the sling to be developed worldwide. Scholars are uncertain whether the sling was developed independently in the New and Old World, or if knowledge of the sling was brought across the Bering land bridge during the last ice age, about fifteen thousand years ago. Some contend that the popularity of the sling throughout the Pacific islands and South America could indicate that there was nautical contact. We do know from archeological evidence, however, that slings were being used in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, parts of Asia, North America, South America, and many of the Pacific islands.
The sling played an important role in shaping the history of humanity. Many people consider the bow and arrow to be the premier ranged weapon before the firearm, but this is a serious misconception. It is true that some cultures, most notably post-Roman societies like medieval Europe, did use the bow (and later the crossbow) almost exclusively. There are major exceptions to this however, including the Aztec (14th Century) and Incan (12th Century) Empires, which used the sling extensively. Before the fall of the Roman Empire, the sling played a key role on the ancient battlefield in almost every theater where major military engagements were occurring.
The sling had several advantages over the bow, one of the most significant being that slingers could outrange bowmen. Assyrian art, for instance, always depicted slingers behind formations of archers. Xenophon noted that his Rhodian slingers could outrange opposing Persian bowmen, which were considered the best in the world at that time, which was around 400BC. Another advantage was that the sling and its ammunition were easier to produce and transport than the bow and arrow. Also, while the bow could only fire arrows, the sling could be used to fire a variety of projectiles. Slings were sometimes used to fire primitive grenades or in desperate situations, rocks. It is also worth noting that slings and their projectiles are less affected by environmental conditions, such as humidity and temperature. It has been suggested that the gyroscopic properties of a rotating sling made it ideal for naval battles, where the deck of the ship might be pitching back and forth. This versatility meant that slingers could be used in almost any military situation regardless of conditions or supplies.
Although technically simple, comprised of two cords and a pouch, there are a remarkable variety of slings because of their wide geographical range. Slings are generally classified into two types: a full pouch, made from a single piece of contiguous material, and a split pouch, most often made from two cords which support an elliptical projectile. The latter type is sometimes called a “lovelock” pouch, after a fragment of a sling with this design that was recovered in Lovelock Cave, Nevada. Besides structural differences, slings were made from a variety of materials. There are Inuit (Eskimo) slings made from the skin of marine animals, Andean (Peruvian) slings braided from alpaca wool, and African slings made of woven sisal, just to name a few.
Few slings have been recovered from archeological sites because of the biodegradable nature of the materials. The oldest sling was recovered in Lahun, Egypt, dated to around 800 BC. It was made from woven flax, a plant fiber. Although slings often disintegrate, their projectiles do not. Thousands of spherical, and later elliptical, projectiles have been recovered from archeological sites throughout the world. The majority were either found in massive stockpiles or scattered over ancient battlefields. However, there are a significant number found in smaller, rural communities where farming was the predominant activity. While the sling obviously played a major role in warfare, it was also a valuable tool to assist in herding animals, scaring away predators, and even hunting. The earliest projectiles were made from ceramic or stone. However, with the advent of civilization, and subsequently, an organized military, these projectiles were soon being cast out of lead to increase their deadliness. Projectiles, and more importantly, the context they were recovered in, are the most informative archeological evidence. Researchers can determine what role the sling and the slinger played in that battle and ultimately the culture.
In addition to the archeological record, documents, in the form of letters, first-hand accounts, theater, training documents, records, or other texts, provide another valuable source of information about how slings were used. Vases, tapestries, coins and other art forms sometimes depict slingers, and so researchers have a unique visual resource to investigate. However, the sling was rarely considered a high status weapon because of its simplistic nature. Swords, maces, daggers, bows, and many other weapons, required skilled craftsman and had the ability to be decorated with jewels, precious metals, or elaborate carvings. This relegated the sling to a commoner’s weapon. Many societies incorporated weapons into their culture and gave them an almost divine quality, like a Samurai’s sword or Thor’s Hammer, but few societies worshiped the humble sling. Because of this lack of status, slings are mentioned infrequently in literature, and appear far less in art than other weapons do. This factor also greatly depreciates the sling’s role in history, despite its significance on the ancient battlefield.
Although the sling is perhaps one of the most significant weapons in humanity’s development, scholars have generally ignored it. The inability to sling to the same standard as the ancients created doubt that many of the historical statistics were accurate. Most modern academic literature estimates slings could achieve ranges of around 250m at release velocities around 120kph. In the hands of a skilled person, a sling can achieve ranges over 500m at velocities exceeding 400kph, which is supported by classical accounts from figures like Vegetius and Xenophon. Others, like Livy and Diodorus, have commented on the slinger’s accuracy; for example, noting they could not only hit a person in the head at considerable distance, but could choose which part of the face to hit.
Few scholars have written about the sling, with the notable exceptions of Manfred Korfmann, Thom Richardson, and Walter Hawkins. These authors provide the bulk of published historical material on the sling. Dozens of other books and articles mention the sling, but most include just a passing reference. A group of enthusiasts, having met on the website
www.slinging.org, set out on this ambitious project, dubbed Project Goliath, in the Fall of 2004. In order to provide the most comprehensive text on the sling, the talents of many writers and researchers were needed. The limited previous research on this topic meant that even seemingly small chapters, such as slings in ancient China, required a daunting amount of research to ensure its completeness. It is our hope that this volume can become the definitive source of information on the sling and set the record straight on this oft-forgotten weapon.
Chris