The first arsenals

In a new study, published in the journal 'Atiqot, a group of researchers hypothesizes that the large quantities of sling projectiles found in two sites dating back to the first phase of the Chalcolithic (5800 - 4500 BC) may be evidence of a standardized and organized production of weapons of war.

The use of the sling is attested in several geographically or chronologically distant cultures. From an archaeological point of view it is not easy to recognize their use since they are made of perishable material, such as wood or leather. However, it is possible to hypothesize its presence through indirect traces.
Although different types of projectiles can be used, it has often been noted that, when the use of this weapon becomes intensive, specially manufactured oval or biconical shaped projectiles are used.
At the sites of 'En Ẓippori (Lower Galilee) and 'En Esur (Plain of Sharon), more than 400 smooth stone projectiles of similar shape and weight were found, distributed in specific areas. What were they for?

Some hypotheses are examined. The slingshot may have been used for hunting, but in this period, with the first agricultural experiments, hunting became a minority resource.
They may have been used by shepherds to defend their flock, as happened in classical Greece, but the strong standardization of these objects and the urban context do not support this hypothesis. Finally, slings may have been used as weapons of war. We know the presence of slingers in different armies of historical eras, such as the Greco-Roman or Egyptian ones. In this case the uniformity of the projectiles could indicate use by standard users, for example warriors with military equipment.
The large quantity and concentration in some points could be an indication of community production, a collective effort in preparation for a war.

After this period, slings remained part of the military arsenal in the Levant until recent times, but the massive standardization of projectiles disappeared from the archaeological record for almost 5 millennia.

Agnese Picco
NP December 2023