The Plumbata

by | Oct 4, 2023 | Just A Minute

The Plumbata was a type of war dart originating in Greece in 500 BC, Around 300 AD, it was used by the Roman armies to harass enemies from a distance. The length of the Plumbata was around 1 foot, it was comprised of a Lead tip, an iron weight and a wooden shaft with fletching, which kept the tail to the rear… Thrown with accuracy it could hit a target over 260 feet away. The Plumbata was not meant to kill the enemy but could seriously hurt them. These war darts were effective against lightly protected opponents, and against horses, during Roman times, it was a respected long-distance weapon… speaking of weapons… I mean toys.. in the 1980’s a now banned toy called lawn darts, or Jarts was designed to be used like the Plumbata, weighted spikes thrown overhand or underhand for loft, Jarts were intended to land in plastic rings placed on the lawn as targets, but missed targets resulted in multiple injuries and even death. Maybe designing a toy like a roman weapon of war wasn’t the best idea.

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