Thousand-year traditions. The oldest weapons factory in history has been found in Israel.
November 24, 16:05 Share:
Sling stones (Photo: Gil Haklay, Israel Antiquities Authority)
In Israel, archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a weapons factory, which is likely the oldest known site of mass production of standardized military weapons..
The results of the study, based on the analysis of hundreds of stone projectiles found in archaeological sites at En-Esur and En-Zippori, indicate the presence of weapons created in preparation for a battle about 7,200 years ago in the Early Copper Age.
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Researchers studied 424 sling stones discovered in settlements that were inhabited between 5800 and 4500 BC. Stones designed to be thrown from a sling have standard characteristics: an average length of 52 millimeters, a width of 31 millimeters and a weight of 60 grams. These items were mass-produced, which indicates a high degree of organization of the military training of soldiers.
“ These stones represent the earliest evidence of warfare in the Southern Levant. The similarity of the slings indicates large-scale industrial production,” the researchers note.. They also suggest that slings were systematically made for use by ordinary users, allowing for effective training.
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Scientists say the transition from informal slingstones to highly standardized weaponry may indicate frequent warfare in the early Copper Age. The increase in the size of settlements in the Southern Levant at this time and the presence “ monumental public buildings” indicate a stratified society, involved in interregional exchanges and prone to conflict.
An interesting fact is that mass produced weapons such as slings suddenly disappeared from the archaeological record about a millennium later.. In any case, the discovery of this ancient weapons factory sheds light on the organized war in the Middle East, which began more than 7,000 years ago and continues to this day.
The study of these unique findings was published in the journal Atiqot.
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