Ancient projectiles (was: Muzzle Velocity (was: High resolution sleep(Linux))

[Hendrik van Rooyen]

 "Cameron Laird" <claird at lairds.us> wrote:


> In article <RT20i.9169$j63.3876 at newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
> Dennis Lee Bieber  <wlfraed at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> .
> .
> .
> >> Did you know that the first military smokeless powder
> >> round was for the French Lebel? - It threw a bronze 
> >> ball, and could punch through a single brick wall.
> >>
> > Well, extreme high speed wouldn't help for that -- just get a
> >surface splatter. Heavy and slower... (or some sort of solid core --
> >depleted uranium with a teflon coating)
> .
> .
> .
> Hmmm; now you've got me curious.  What *were* the first
> composite projectiles?  Conceivably archers, catapultists,
> and slings would all have the potential to find advantage
> in use of coated dense projectiles; is there any evidence
> of such?  There certainly was "mass production" of cheap
> projectiles (clay pellets, for example).  How were stones
> chosen for large catapults?  Was there a body of craft
> knowledge for balancing density and total mass in
> selection of stones?

Would a toggle headed harpoon count as 
a "composite projectile" ?  - they have been
around a long time.

Also the San people (better known as Bushmen)
have made their poison arrows so that the point
detaches from the shaft and stays in the wound,
ensuring better contact between the sticky gum 
like poison and the blood of the victim.

- Hendrik