Popular Mechanics
By Tim Newcomb
January 15, 2024
Bullets flung from slingshots 2,000 years ago did more than take down soldiers or dent shields. They also sent literal messages that, lucky for us, have survived until today.
In a study published last year in the journal Zephyrus, a team of Spanish researchers explained how an almond-shaped lead bullet offers clues to the final days of the Roman civil war in Spain. That campaign—a battle between Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great—lasted roughly four years and spanned half a dozen territories before culminating in southern Spain, where Caesar secured victory.