Plumbata

Plumbatae or martiobarbuli were lead-weighted darts carried by infantrymen in Antiquity and the Middle Ages. They were used to inflict damage on enemies at a distance before engaging in close combat. Roman soldiers in some legions carried plumbatae inside their shields, which allowed them to have ranged weapons similar to arrows, according to Vegetius in his 4th-century military treatise De re militari.

The plumbata consisted of a lead-weighted head attached to a wooden shaft with fletching, which allowed soldiers to throw them effectively over long distances. The Roman work De rebus bellicis and the Byzantine manual of war Strategicon, confirm their use and describe variations, such as the spiked plumbatae (plumbata tribolata). Archaeological finds in Wroxeter and elsewhere confirm their description and use.