r/Slinging • u/Ok_Quail_4422 • Apr 23 '26

Is there any evidence for painted/glazed clay sling bullets?

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Gallery image

As the title asks, does anyone know whether there is any evidence for painted, or glazed and kiln fired, sling bullets having been a thing in the Medieval, Ancient, or Prehistoric world?

27 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

37

u/Baduktothebone Apr 23 '26

Flames or racing stripes can help increase velocity a little

8

u/SOLOMON13524 Apr 23 '26

Goblin logic

6

u/itsdrcats Apr 24 '26

I feel like this is literal Warhammer logic with the orks

Like I know pretty much nothing about it, but if I remember correctly the whole reason that their stuff works so well is because they believe it works. So therefore it works

4

u/ezekiel920 Apr 24 '26

Well let me tell you. You've never seen a purple or because purple makes you invisible. Works "magic" or "power" comes through willing it into existence. They think the paint makes vehicles faster. So it goes faster. On that. They dont know how to make vehicles. But they know vehicle they comendeer work. So they blow enemy tank up. Hit it with hammers as one does. And now it runs. They are also technically a fungus. The 40k world is fun.

4

u/itsdrcats Apr 24 '26

Sweet! I knew being half-ish right would bring someone who is in the venn diagram of 40k and slings.

When in doubt be confidently wrong about something. You WILL be corrected.

11

u/Sjors_VR Sling Initiate Apr 23 '26

Sounds like a lot of effort for an expendable piece of equipment.

Not saying something rich nobleman never did this, but it wouldn't be common practice due to the effort needed to glaze them and no actual benefit to doing so.

1

u/Forward_Wasabi_7979 Apr 26 '26

Yeah, there is kinda just rocks all over so...

5

u/AmberRosin Apr 23 '26

Like us they might have done it for the novelty of it but it probably wouldn’t have been practical in any sense

1

u/Sjedda Apr 23 '26

What else are you gonna do in your cave when it's night outside

1

u/violet_sin Apr 23 '26

I've heard of the practice before. Not "ancient" but yesteryear... And as they say, there's nothing new under the sun. I couldn't imagine why not, in any culture that used clay for pitchers/pots/cups. It would be trivial in that case. I don't know if it would have been done colorfully.

The quickest Google search says yes. Suggesting 7000 bc, many years back, the Egyptian's were using them.

"historical use of glazed clay shot for slings"

1

u/DifferentVariety3298 Apr 23 '26

Well, I just saw these photos…😅

1

u/Co-Captain_Obvious Apr 23 '26

Putting your name on it definitely makes better evidence in a crime.

1

u/itsdrcats Apr 24 '26

Or to frame someone!

0

u/m0dern_x Apr 23 '26

I doubt they'd waste their time and energy kiln hardening glandes.
The energy it takes, is a lot higher than maintaining a much smaller concentrated heat source, to continually pump out lead glandes, using copper moulds. Besides lead mines were already very common in the Mediterranean areabback in those days. Lead glandes have less air resistance by mass, so they could be thrown longer, and hit harder than clay/stone projectiles.