• MAIN PAGE
  • LATEST NEWS
    • Lost Cities
    • Archaeology's Greatest Finds
    • Underwater Discoveries
    • Greatest Inventions
    • Studies
    • Blog
  • PHILOSOPHY
  • HISTORY
  • RELIGIONS
    • Africa
    • Anatolia
    • Arabian Peninsula
    • Balkan Region
    • China - East Asia
    • Europe
    • Eurasian Steppe
    • Levant
    • Mesopotamia
    • Oceania - SE Asia
    • Pre-Columbian Civilizations of America
    • Iranian Plateau - Central Asia
    • Indus Valley - South Asia
    • Japan
    • The Archaeologist Editor Group
    • Scientific Studies
    • Aegean Prehistory
    • Historical Period
    • Byzantine Middle Ages
    • Predynastic Period
    • Dynastic Period
    • Greco-Roman Egypt
  • Rome
  • PALEONTOLOGY
  • About us
Menu

The Archaeologist

  • MAIN PAGE
  • LATEST NEWS
  • DISCOVERIES
    • Lost Cities
    • Archaeology's Greatest Finds
    • Underwater Discoveries
    • Greatest Inventions
    • Studies
    • Blog
  • PHILOSOPHY
  • HISTORY
  • RELIGIONS
  • World Civilizations
    • Africa
    • Anatolia
    • Arabian Peninsula
    • Balkan Region
    • China - East Asia
    • Europe
    • Eurasian Steppe
    • Levant
    • Mesopotamia
    • Oceania - SE Asia
    • Pre-Columbian Civilizations of America
    • Iranian Plateau - Central Asia
    • Indus Valley - South Asia
    • Japan
    • The Archaeologist Editor Group
    • Scientific Studies
  • GREECE
    • Aegean Prehistory
    • Historical Period
    • Byzantine Middle Ages
  • Egypt
    • Predynastic Period
    • Dynastic Period
    • Greco-Roman Egypt
  • Rome
  • PALEONTOLOGY
  • About us

Reinventing the Plumbata, a formidable weapon

December 9, 2023

The plumbata, a type of weighted throwing dart, was one of the most effective missile weapons of the ancient world. While it was believed to have been used primarily to maim and harass the enemy, recent experiments suggest that there may have been a higher velocity, longer ranged version of the dart in ancient arsenals. The conventional design of the plumbata is estimated to be around a foot long with fletchings and a bare section at the end to grab onto, a sturdy shaft, and a lead weight fused to the barbed iron point. With a weight ranging from 130 to 350 grams, it could be thrown effectively to distances over 80 meters.

The new design of the plumbata is longer, with a thinner shaft and large fletchings to provide greater aerodynamic stability. The dart is front-heavy with a ballistically stable long thin iron point that can penetrate deeply. The small loop behind the fletchings is designed to prevent the shaft from breaking, avoiding the bending force of a hand throw so that the force is applied through tension alone.

Experiments with the new design of the plumbata show that it is accurate and can penetrate deeply into targets. With a speed of 47-48 meters per second, it is potentially a formidable weapon. However, the design requires practice and skill to use effectively.

← How do neanderthal genes affect your health? (With Geneticist Laurits Skov)7 Lost Cities (that could still be found) →
Featured
The Clay Hives of Al-Kharfi: Bees, Survival, and Innovation in the Desert
Oct 12, 2025
The Clay Hives of Al-Kharfi: Bees, Survival, and Innovation in the Desert
Oct 12, 2025
Read More →
Oct 12, 2025
558461169_1330929682022932_5965818260055086871_nd.jpg
Oct 12, 2025
Ancient Wheels Without Wheels: Travois Tracks at White Sands Rewriting Transport History
Oct 12, 2025
Read More →
Oct 12, 2025
imgi_44_jacek-ukowski-and-katarzyna-herdzik-768x576 (1).jpg
Oct 10, 2025
Ancient Ritual Knife Unearthed on Poland’s Baltic Coast After a Storm?
Oct 10, 2025
Read More →
Oct 10, 2025
imageye___-_imgi_19_250930090507_Hora-2 (1).jpg
Oct 3, 2025
Archaeological Museum of Chora in Pylos: A New Era for the Treasures of Nestor and the Griffin Warrior
Oct 3, 2025
Read More →
Oct 3, 2025
imageye___-_imgi_90_abrahamic-family-hosue (1).jpg
Sep 30, 2025
A Mosque, Church & Synagogue Together: A New Symbol of Religious Coexistence in the UAE
Sep 30, 2025
Read More →
Sep 30, 2025
549705914_18367966132146898_7383368493639402982_n (1).jpg
Sep 29, 2025
A New Gateway to Ancient Wonders: The GEM Walkway to the Pyramids Officially Completed
Sep 29, 2025
Read More →
Sep 29, 2025
read more

Powered by The archaeologist