The remarkable find occurred within an old Grecian city located in Israel. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark
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An ancient “projectile” has been unearthed, etched with what researchers speculate is a message intended for whomever was unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end. The 1.3-inch-long item is composed of lead and is believed to have been utilized in a slingshot weapon employed by the Ancient Greeks during combat.
By using a slingshot, soldiers were able to hurl the weighty piece of metal, approximately 45 grams in weight, for ranges reaching around 1,000 metres, essentially rendering it a very primitive iteration of a bullet. Impact from the airborne fragment of metal could bring about grave injury or even fatality, as proficient slingshot users were capable of launching the metal pieces at velocities of up to 100mph.
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This specific relic of ancient armed conflict was discovered by archaeologists from the University of Haifa, in Israel, who were working at the location of the city of Hippos (also identified as Sussita) which was erected approximately 2,000 years in the past near the inland Sea of Galilee.
What surprised investigators is that this projectile contains a message for its target, as documented in Ancient Greek, on the lead are the words “Learn your lesson”.
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As reported by Live Science, the Greek characters ΜΑΘΟΥ are etched onto the lead, and the study authors have interpreted the inscription as a form of the Greek term “mathaíno,” signifying “learn,” and their assessment indicates the spelling pointed to an imperative conveying something similar to “Learn your lesson”.
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Michael Eisenberg, an archaeologist from the University of Haifa, remarked in a declaration: “Sling lead projectiles of this variety are widely acknowledged in archaeological studies from numerous locations originating in the Hellenistic era, notably from the second century BCE … but this marks the first globally to showcase the inscription ‘Learn’.
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“This embodies localized cynical humor on the part of the city’s protectors, who sought to instruct their adversaries with a knowing jest.”
Eisenberg alongside his associates disclosed the results on March 10 in the periodical Palestine Exploration Quarterly.
The account clarifies: “The object was retrieved through the utilization of a metal detector inside the Southern Necropolis, adjacent to the channel of the Sussita Stream, at the site of an ancient pathway.
“The projectile, most likely propelled by the city defenders at approaching combatants progressing up the pathway, displays Greek characters ΜΑΘΟΥ.
“This previously undocumented inscription can be understood as a mocking imperative directed towards the foe, ‘learn your lesson.’ This discovery joins a group of 69 lead sling bullets encountered at Hippos.”
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The account further stated: “The inscribed projectile, along with other slingshots unearthed at the location, might have been employed in any of the assorted battles throughout the Hellenistic period wherein Hippos was entangled.
“Initially, preceding the city’s establishment, during the Ptolemaic reign, a stronghold was positioned atop the elevation. It underwent conquest during the Battle of Paneion, circa 199BC by the Seleucids, who then instituted the polis of Hippos at the site.”