Nankov, Emil : Markers of Military Mobility: Toward an Archaeology of the Sling in Ancient Thrace (5th c. BC – 4th c. AD)

Emil Nankov,
Markers of Military Mobility: Toward an Archaeology of the Sling in Ancient Thrace (5th c. BC – 4th c. AD)
with
A Corpus of the inscribed lead sling projectiles from Bulgaria /
Glandes Plumbeae Inscriptae in Bulgaria Repertae
(Excavations and Research / Разкопки и проучвания, vol. 50)

Sofia 2023


ISBN 978-619-245-385-5


260 S./pp., zahlr. Farb- und S/W-Abb./num. colour and b/w-figs., 28,5 x 20 cm; kartoniert/hardcover


englisch mit ausführlicher Zusammenfassung in bulgarisch
english with extended summary in bulgarian



The study is an overall analysis of the archaeological record about the application of the sling as a weapon in Ancient Thrace with an accent on the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The book fills the lacuna in the research by presenting photo and graphic documentation of all known sling artifacts from the territory of Bulgaria that have been generated over several decades through archaeological excavations or have entered museum collections as chase finds.

The monography comprises an Introduction and four main chapters: Historiography and previous scholarship, The sling as a weapon, Sling projectiles from Thrace. Building up a database, and Converging narratives – a chapter that attempts to articulate in greater detail the significance of inscribed sling bullets in reconstructing historical events of potential importance for our understanding of the Macedonian expansion into Thrace during the reigns of Philip II and Alexander III, the Roman takeover of southwestern Thrace, which began in the 2nd – 1st c. BC, and the Mithridatic Wars during the early 1st c. BC. The last chapter is reserved for concluding remarks and the perspectives of the research. The book also comprises a catalogue, abbreviations, a bibliography, a list of ancient authors, a resume in the Bulgarian language, and indices.