Since ancient times, people have learned to make weapons to achieve their own goals. One of the types of ancient throwing weapons is a sling, which is known to every connoisseur of the story of David and Goliath. Currently, this weapon is undeservedly forgotten. A sling was used in various wars of the ancient world. In the arsenal of medieval armies, this type of throwing weapon was used until the advent of muskets and revolvers
History of the appearance of slings
All connoisseurs of the history of antiquity and the Middle Ages know the biblical story of David and Goliath, in which the hero wins with the help of a sling. A sling is an ancient type of throwing weapon that was used in the wars of the Roman, Greek and Persian empires. This is a fairly simple weapon in terms of lethality and combat efficiency surpasses the bow. However, the use of this type of weapon was not widespread.
In the armies of Ancient Rome and Greece, sling was used as a special weapon, and war slingers were specially trained for this type of activity. For a primitive society, sling had a different meaning. It was used as a hunting weapon for slaughtering animals. This is a fairly primitive weapon, but very effective in combat or hunting.
In the armies of the Ancient World, sling was used during the battle or siege of the fortress. Slingers took possession of the throwing weapon so much that it was constantly modified and unified. All this was done to increase the combat effectiveness of the shells. They were originally made from stones, and then specially cast from iron or bronze.
In the troops there was a special position of a slinger - a man who was directly involved in the manufacture and use of weapons in battle. For a long time, the sling occupied the main place along with the bow and arrows. Sling was used until the 16th century due to its high efficiency and relatively low cost.
Weapon design
The design of the sling is quite primitive. For manufacturing, two pieces of rope and a flap of dense fabric or leather are used. A finger loop is tied at the end of one rope, a knot for holding is tied at the second piece of the rope. Both pieces of rope are sewn to a flap of fabric or leather on both sides. It is the central platform that is the holding device for the projectile.
Ancient wars made sling from various available materials. Most often these were braided ropes, in the center of which was a pocket for holding stones. In Rome or Persia there were slings in the form of a scourge, one end of which was put on the hand, and the other was fixed on the whip. In the center, instead of a leather pad, a metal ring was installed. For this type of sling, specially made round metal shells were used.
