Roman Lead Sling Bullet, circa 1st Century BC to 1st Century AD
Lead sling bullet measuring 46mm and 71.23 grams
Oxidized surfaces and intact but with some light dings from being used in battle. For reference see:
M. C. Bishop & J. C. N. Coulston, Roman Military Equipment, From the Punic Wars to the Fall of Rome,figure 27, numbers 1 to 5. Found in Spain, and purportedly from Munde in Southern Spain, the last decisive battle between Julius Caesar and the Pompeians. As such these sling bullets would be remnants from one of the most important battles of all western civilization, but alas, it cannot be confirmed, only that they were in fact found in Spain. The actual site of Munde has never been confirmed though archaeologists and historians have a few good possibilities.
Slingers were employed by both sides in most all of the Civil War battles. The only time they can be closely attributed is by inscription or symbol, such as thunderbolts (I have in my collection two of which are inscribed with the name of Pompey). Many have been found with interesting or fanciful inscriptions. The Greeks used some humorous insciptions such as "Take That", or "Ouch". But Roman inscriptions include:
FERI POMP (Strike Pompey)
PET CVLVM OCTAVIA (Attack Octavians Asshole, implying that his troops were retreating when struck by the bullets).
FVGITI PERITIS (Perish in Your Flight)
DEXA (Catch!) There are numerous classical writings on slingers and their deadly accuracy, but Vegetius tells of one fanciful and perhaps untrue story (but who can say) about a pregnant woman who was too close to a battle and which was stuck in the belly by an errant bullet which forced the baby to be expelled from her womb! Fanciful to be sure, but he was certainly illustrating the deadly accuracy and potential results of the Roman Slinger.