Evidence of fateful battles. Sling bullet with Caesar's name found in Spain

January 6, 16:41 Share:

A sling shell from the main battle of Caesar and the children of his former ally (Photo: STILEarte)

In the Spanish countryside of Montilla, in the south of the country, archaeologists have discovered a lead sling bullet with a surprising inscription “ Julius Caesar”. This place could have seen the last battles of the war between the commander and the sons of his late comrade-in-arms Gnaeus.

This historic discovery, made for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula, was made possible thanks to an in-depth study of the projectile carried out by Javier Moralejo, Jesús Robles and Antonio Moreno from the Autonomous University of Madrid, together with José Antonio Moren from the Archaeological Museum of Cabra. Their research, published in the journal Zephyrus of the University of Salamanca, reveals unique details about the tool and its historical context.

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The bullet, found 19 kilometers from Baena, weighs 71.1 grams and is shaped like an acorn with pointed ends.. Its dimensions are 4.5 centimeters in length, 2 centimeters in width and 1.7 centimeters in height.. The lead projectile is carved with two raised inscriptions: “IPSCA” and “CAES”, making this discovery unique in the history of archaeology.

This is also the first time that a place name is indicated on a lead sling bullet – the city of Ipsca, which is an Ibero-Roman city. This fact supports the theory of Ipscus's connection to Caesar and confirms the city's alliance with Caesar's faction during the civil war.

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Inscriptions on lead projectiles for slingshots ( glandes inscriptae) had their origins in Greece in the 5th century BC and were used in the Roman Empire. They included information about the manufacturer, military leader, legion or location where they were to be deployed. The researchers note that this discovery adds to our understanding of the military history of the Roman era and the use of the sling as an important weapon in the arsenal of ancient warriors.