Loading, please wait...
LOT 0321
Late Roman Iron-Shafted Lead Plumbata
CIRCA 3RD-7TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/8 in. (67.4 grams, 13 cm).
Comprising a barrel-shaped lead body with a round-section shaft with a barbed finial.
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Southern, P. & Dixon, K.R., The Late Roman Army, London, 1996, fig.46, pp.113-115.
FootnotesLead-weighted darts known as plumbatae mamillatae (or 'breasted javelin') were short darts mounted upon a shaft of the same shape, and thrown from a short distance. A Roman soldier would typically carry around 5-6 of these darts at any one time, fastened to the back of his shield. They could be thrown overhand or underhand, with an effective throwing range of up to 60 metres by trained soldiers.
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.
LOT 0321
Late Roman Iron-Shafted Lead Plumbata
Estimate £300 - 400€350 - 460 (for guidance only)$410 - 540 (for guidance only)
-
Greek Lead Slingshot with Macedonian Star
4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Biconical in profile with casting seam and the Macedonian Star on one side. 27.8 grams, 28 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
In Greek warfare, slingers appear as psiloi, lightly equipped troops who skirmished ahead of a phalanx or alongside peltasts. Some city-states likely trained their own slingers; others were specialists. Rhodian slingers became famous in the 4th century B.C. because the islanders had a tradition of practice. In the Peloponnese, in mainland Greece, and along the Aegean coast, slingers fought in both field operations and sieges. The practice survived into the Roman period, during which specialist mercenaries, like the Rhodians or the Balearic slingers, were still in use. -
Elamite Bronze Macehead Inscribed 'To Nin’azu, Bala, son of Lugal-kare-si'
Early Dynastic IIIB Period, circa 2500-2340 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
Comprising a cylindrical shaft with a narrow flanged base, the upper section with three vertical relief panels decorated by round spikes alternated with a wavy pattern, divided and bordered by parallel ridges, engraved with five lines of Sumerian cuneiform text around the socket, a votive inscription translating to: 'To Nin’azu, Bala, son of Lugal-kare-si, the merchant, has presented (it)'. 350 grams, 11.6 cm
Acquired before 1983. Ex London gallery, 1990s. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13257-253385.
This gorz mace head belongs to the category of truncheon-shaped mace heads, a type developed on the Iranian plateau during the Bronze Age, used by Elamite and Luristan warriors since the 3rd millennium B.C. This category of objects was also interpreted as a part of a shaft or cudgel, but most scholars agree on the interpretation of use as a mace. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Ovoid in profile with domed filler hole, linear decoration; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and a wick, and used as a hand grenade. 797 grams, 14.1 cm
From an important specialist collection, London, UK, 1990s onwards. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.
Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια, where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
