Loading, please wait...
LOT 1491
Greek Lead Slingshot
3RD-1ST CENTURY B.C.
1 1/8 in. (28.5 grams, 28 mm).
Biconical in profile with casting seam and reserved legend 'ΔΑМΑCΕΝΟΥ' = of Damasenos, and 'M' to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market before 2000.
Private collection, Munich, Germany.
See Schinco, G., Small, A.M., 'A previously unknown siege of Botromagno/Silvium: the evidence of slingshots from Gravina in Puglia (Provincia di Bari, Puglia)' in Papers of the British School at Rome, 2019, pp.1-52, fig.37(type Volling IIb).
FootnotesThe leaden bullets, which were thrown with slings, were called in Greek molivdainai (μολύβδαιναι), and in Latin glandes; the former indicating the material ‘lead’, the latter the shape ‘acorns’. These bullets, were cast in a mould and bore letters or devices, or both, on two sides or only on one side. In form they were more like an almond than an acorn, but many are pointed at both ends.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Saxon Sacrificed Iron Spatha with Bronze Chape
5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
Double-edged long sword (spatha) of type Osterburken-Kemathen; the blade with squared shoulders, broken into two parts for sacrificial reasons, tapering towards the point; sturdy tang partially preserved; wooden traces of the scabbard and hilt still visible; accompanied by a bronze outer rim of a scabbard; restored. 630 grams total, 78 cm long
From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.
The deliberate fragmentation of a sword, often into three pieces, was a symbolic act of ‘killing’ the weapon, which was then placed as a grave good or offered in a ceremonial context. This was a Germanic custom already visible in the Vandal Przeworsk culture around the 3rd or 4th century A.D., which continued in Northern European areas until the 5th and the 6th centuries A.D. -
Western Asiatic Iron Dagger with Bone Hilt
19th-early 20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising a curved iron blade with midrib, waisted bone hilt with carved scene to each face, band of text above and below. 550 grams, 46 cm
Private collection, UK. -
Greek Lead Slingshot Group
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Each lentoid with thick casting seam to the rim. 131 grams total, 26-31 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
