Weaponry has been with mankind ever since the first human ancestor picked up a rock. Throughout history, it remained one of the most actively developed technologies, flavored by different cultures and times. The study of devices, injuries, and battlefields regularly return missing or unknown pieces to the human story that is archaeology. Ancient weapons can show how people adapted, correct misconceptions, and explain long-standing mysteries.

10The Glass Spearhead

Over a century ago, male Aboriginal prisoners were sent to Australia‘s Rottnest Island.^[1] Recently, the island was visited by University staff and students from Western Australia’s School of Indigenous Studies. While learning about the area’s history, one student found a beautiful artifact—a spearhead knapped from green glass. The rare point was about 100 years old and joined previous finds of other glass and ceramic spearheads. What makes this one unique is the deep, sparkling emerald shade. Every other glass point collected over the years was of the usual clear kind.

The weapons are believed to have been used by the Aboriginal inmates to forge bonds, a form of currency during the trading of goods, and to hunt quokkas. It appears the men chose a hilltop overlooking the mainland and went there to craft the spears from any glass they could salvage. The discovery shows the remarkable adaptability of the prisoners despite being incarcerated.

9Tooth Tools

The Gilbert Islanders from the Pacific Ocean once made weapons from two vanished species.^[2] The habit of using shark teeth to create vicious and inventive fighting tools was first noted by European arrivals in the 1700s. The Islanders drilled holes into each serrated snapper and tied them into position with human hair and coconut fibers. Researchers studied a scary collection at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, to see which sharks were hunted for this art form that stopped 130 years ago. The idea was to see if any unknown species roamed the reefs before the age of census taking.

Thanks to the preserved weapons, they identified the silky shark, tiger, hammerhead, oceanic whitetip, and blue shark. The most heavily used was the silvertip shark. However, the true damage of over-fishing came to light when the team found the teeth of spotfin and dusky sharks. While they still exist elsewhere, neither have ever been recorded near the Gilbert Islands. What sealed their fate in this region was likely the shark-finning business that decimated populations for decades since 1900.

8Ancient .44 Magnum

At its peak, Rome walked over several countries, but Scotland was not one of them.^[3] Described as “Rome’s Afghanistan,” the locals’ geographical knowledge proved to be a formidable advantage against the invaders. Evidence of how Roman soldiers went all out to subdue one group of Scots came to light at a 1,900-year-old fortified hill called Burnswark.

Using metal detectors, researchers found over 400 lead balls fired by slingshots. Experiments in Germany proved that a trained Roman slinger could have released the 50-gram bullets at a speed similar to a .44 magnum cartridge. Targets within 130 yards and some lengths beyond were not safe from expert throwers.

When archaeologists looked at the original positions of the bullets, two locations held them in abundance. The whole 500-yard-long rampart of the fort was peppered with the balls, fitting with the pattern of a long siege. A smaller concentration to the north could be where the Scots tried, but failed, to escape, since researchers believe there were no survivors and that many were felled by Roman slingshots.

7Kaakutja’s Wounds

Kaakutja is a skeleton allowing an extremely rare look at Aboriginal conflict before the arrival of the Europeans.^[4] The 800-year-old man was found a few years ago in Toorale National Park, buried in the fetal position. Kaakutja’s life was short and violent. When he died, he was 25-35 years old and had already survived two head injuries. Another wound, this time unhealed, revealed a rarely seen demise—death by boomerang attack.

A six inch (15cm) long slice marred the right side of his face. The cut matched a metal blade’s damage, but this was six centuries before Europeans introduced metal weapons to Australia. Researchers concluded that Kaakutja succumbed in an attack where a less familiar kind of boomerang was used. Not the sort that returns to the thrower, it was larger and sabre-like with a deadly inner edge. This hand-held boomerang could cause the same serious damage as a sword, and in Kaakutja’s case, it happened so fast he could not defend himself, as no defensive injuries were found on the skeleton.

6Fighter Pharaohs

All records concerning weapons carried by Pharaohs state they were purely ritualistic.^[5] However, new studies have found that not every item was just for show. Some of the ornate swords and axes might have been wielded by the Pharaohs and other elite Egyptians in battle.

Scientists chose 125 artifacts from Egypt’s Bronze Age, 5,000-3,000 years ago. Despite being called ritualistic, nearly all the weapons were forged as the real deal and very capable of fighting. Around half showed signs of active duty, although it is hard to say what they were used for. Apart from the battlefield, experts suspect some were used by the elite to execute prisoners or perform animal sacrifices.

One dagger that was definitely not a prop is thought to have belonged to Kamose, son of the murdered Pharaoh Seqenenre Tao II. It is unknown whether the vicious ax blows that felled the king happened on the battlefield or elsewhere during an assassination. Afterward, Kamose continued to fight the Hyksos, his father’s enemy and killers. The dagger’s blade bore traces of extensive use. Given the violent times and what happened to his father, researchers speculate it could have been used in combat.

5Easter Island’s Mata’a

A curious weapon hails from Easter Island, which is famous for its moai statues.^[6] Called mata’a, it is a three-sided stabbing tool made from obsidian.

Just over 100 Rapanui natives remained by 1877 when they started sharing their past with Europeans. The tale told is of a devastated environment, scarce resources, and continuous fighting that destroyed their society. The story became fact, including that the mata’a was the weapon that brought bloodshed to the isolated population.

However, recent skeletal studies proved that scarcely any deaths resulted from mata’a assaults. More died after being pummeled with rocks. There is no evidence to support the stories of massacres either. There is a chance they never occurred, and that the mata’a was deliberately designed not to be too dangerous. For people who engineered the moai, the Islanders were capable of inventing worse weapons if they truly wanted war. This new look at the obsidian tools could reveal the true story of how the Rapanui instead decided to curb their volatile relationships before it killed everyone on the tiny island.

4Genghis Khan’s Secret Weapon

Eight centuries ago, an obscure tribe rose to conquer an unprecedented amount of territory.^[7] How the Mongol hordes, a squabbling and divided people, came together to defeat most of Asia is a mystery. Tree-ring scientists are now suggesting that their secret weapon was as simple as unusual weather. After studying Siberian pines in central Mongolia, the trees showed something contrary to the traditional view that the Mongols spread because they wanted to escape their arid homeland.

Growth rings from 1211-1225, when Genghis Khan rose, showed that for 15 straight years, rains came to the usually frigid and dry steppes. The resulting lush fields increased the Mongols’ herds. The boom in livestock helped lessen internal conflict over resources, and the charismatic Khan grabbed the opportunity to unite the tribes into one power focused on conquest. Their war horses also increased, which was the driving force behind their strong armies. The change in climate strongly suggests that history could have been very different if the 15-year rain spell never occurred.

3The Iraqi Neanderthal

Iraq’s Zagros Mountains delivered the remains of nine Neanderthals between 1953-1960.^[8] One middle-aged man’s remains bore a serious injury, rare evidence of inter-species aggression. Weeks before his death, he suffered a stabbing event that deeply cleft his left ninth rib. Theories included a fall, hunting accident, even a brawl with a fellow Neanderthal. However, weapon studies and experiments suggested that it was not another of his kind that took issue with him, but a human.

The age of Shanidar 3, as the victim was named, roughly matched with when modern humans returned to the area, around 50,000 years ago. By then, humans possessed throwing spears while Neanderthals had jabbing sticks. Both groups also owned stone knives. Neanderthals were eliminated as suspects when it was discovered that their thrusting spears would have caused more damage, and that a downward stab with a knife held the right trajectory but not the right speed to match the rib scar. The closest match was a thrown spear, traveling at a low momentum and hitting the standing Shanidar 3 at a 45 degrees downward angle.

2Trigger Factory

In the 1970s, the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang was opened.^[9] Best known for its terra-cotta army of life-size human figures, researchers puzzled over the statues’ weapons. Apart from stone armor, the soldiers also had swords, lances, and crossbows. Their construction remained a riddle, especially the crossbows. Their frames of wood and bamboo already decomposed, leaving behind metal parts such as tips and triggers. Each trigger had five interlocking pieces, and many experts felt an assembly line process was involved, but scrutiny dismissed this. The parts were near identical, meaning molds were used.

The structure of the workforce probably mirrored the way the Emperor reformed ancient China’s entire society. The population was broken into small groups collectively responsible for the obedience and productivity of its members. Similarly, the triggers were produced by groups of craftsmen assigned a particular task such as smelting or assembling. Since this was probably how weaponry destined for real conflict was also produced, such worker cells could have moved with armies to keep the soldiers’ weapons in working shape.

1Fake Viking Swords

Back in the day, every self-respecting Viking fought with a designer sword.^[10] The most sought-after were forged by Ulfberht, whose name was embossed near the hilt. Vikings produced superb swords but, much like today, inferior products fooled many buyers.

Experts never knew about this interesting piece of Viking history until a private collector brought an Ulfberht to the Wallace Collection, a museum in London. Comparing it to Ulfberht’s from its own and other collections, tests quickly exposed the difference. While both groups carried the famous name, were razor sharp, and appeared identical, the weaker fakes showed their nature at the worst moment. They broke easily, and several were found shattered on battlefields. Their iron came from northern Europe unlike the genuine swords, made of crucible steel from the Middle East with a carbon content three times higher. The fakes probably escaped detection because they were manufactured with expertise, but hardening the hot, inferior iron by plunging it into water made the blade brittle. Many well-known Ulfberhts in modern collections have now been revealed to be ancient impostors.

Food sustains us, it fills us up and keeps us going. There is healthy food and junk food. There is fast food and slow food. Food can be spicy, sweet and sour. It can be organic or processed. Food is all this and so, so much more.

See Also: 10 Interesting Stories Behind The Invention Of Modern Foods

For instance, while most of us eat the food that we buy, there are a few creative souls out there who dare to be different. As the list below shows, food can be an effective weapon – either as it is or disguised as something far more deadly.

10 Avocado Grenades

The California Department of Public Health claims that the avocado tree started growing in Mexico some 7,000 years ago. Avocados contain plenty of monounsaturated fatty acids – aka the good fats – which lower bad cholesterol and raise the good kind. You can use avocados in a sandwich, a salad or, if you are feeling particularly bold, in a bank robbery.

That’s right. Back in June of 2019, a man in Israel robbed 2 banks using an avocado. He had painted it black and somehow convinced bank employees that the delicious fruit was a grenade.

The 47 year-old man walked into a Postal Bank at a big shopping mall and handed a cashier a note that read, “Hand over the money in the drawer.” The word “drawer” was misspelled. When the cashier froze, the avocado wielding man got impatient and told the cashier to, “Put the money in the bag quickly or I’ll throw this grenade.” Then, 5 days later, he did it again. In total, he walked away with the equivalent of $8,300 US.

Thankfully, the man was tracked via cell phone data and picked up shortly after.

9 Spaghetti Sauce Bomb

Back in 2013, a bomb squad had to be called into the Fifth Third Bank located in Clinton Township, Michigan. A woman had just robbed the place and left behind a bag she claimed contained a bomb.

Police secured the scene by cordoning off the bank. When the bomb squad was through, they did not find a bomb. Instead, they found two cans of tomato sauce.

A few days later, police found and arrested Ophelia Amelia Neal and charged her with bank robbery. Despite the fact that her “bomb” turned out to be just a few cans of tomato sauce, police also laid explosives charges on her.

8 Christmas Ham Incoming

It can be difficult for a family to agree on which day to get together for a holiday. Competing schedules can cause some stress and tension and may lead to raised voices and hurt feelings.

For a family in London, Kentucky, a dispute over which day to hold Christmas dinner lead to something far more serious – a charge for 4th degree assault.

Clearly pushed way past his breaking point, David D. Brannon, 21, lost it and threw a Christmas ham at a woman.

When police arrived, they found Brannon fleeing the scene. Police caught up to him and arrested him. During their investigation, police officers found several objects on the kitchen floor.

Along with the assault charge, Brannon was also hit with a charge for running away from police.

7 Assault With A Deadly High Five

Food allergies are not funny. According to Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), 32 million Americans have food allergies. And every 3 minutes someone ends up in the emergency room of their local hospital due to a food allergy reaction.

In the winter of 2018, in Butler Township, UK, a 14 year-old girl was rushed to hospital after suffering an allergic reaction to pineapple during lunch period at Butler Intermediate High School. She had not eaten the tasty tropical fruit – she knew she was allergic. She only started showing symptoms after another 14 year-old girl high-fived her.

Turns out, that other girl knew that the soon to be victim was allergic to pineapples. She did it on purpose. Because of this, she was charged in juvenile court with assault, conspiracy and other offences. Two other girls were slapped with conspiracy charges as well.

Upon further investigation, the police found that the victim’s allergy was well known and that pineapple was not served at the school during the time in question. Someone brought the pineapple from home.

“This was an intentional act,” Lieutenant Matt Pearson remarked. “They sat at the lunch table right next to her and talked about doing it. Some had reservations, but they went through with it.”

6 Breakfast Is Served…In Man’s Face

Bacon and Eggs is to breakfast what a tree and presents are to Christmas – they go hand-in-hand. But, for a 19 year-old from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, they go hand-in-face.

A group of people were seated together having breakfast in a local restaurant, one Monday morning, when a 19 year-old man at the table became upset. He then grabbed the bacon and eggs off his plate and threw it at another man seated at the same table. According to police, the victim became disoriented. Not only that, but he was injured and sent to the hospital.

Hamilton Constable Steve Welton shared the greasy details, saying, “The weapon was in fact the food, and the intent was to cause injury or harm…It was not accidental in nature and officers investigated with evidence to support the charges.”

5Vegaterrorian

Cucumbers do a number of important things for your body, including: keeping you hydrated; helping to clear waste; helping to keep cancer from developing.

If Gary Rough of Glasgow, Scotland had just eaten the cucumber in his possession, he would have enjoyed all of those previously mentioned health benefits plus one other one – he would have stayed out of jail.

Instead, he stuffed the cucumber in a black sock, ventured into a betting house in Shettleston and attempted to rob one of the employees. She refused to hand over any cash. Rough was then tackled and arrested by an off-duty police officer. That was when the black sock was removed from the “weapon” to reveal that it was just a cucumber.

Rough tried to reason with the police, saying, “It was a dare… Am I getting the jail for this?” He added, “I think it was quite stupid – I am not a robber. It was a laugh that went too far.”

Prosecutor Sheena Fraser described Rough being armed with a, “long cylindrical object covered in a black sock.”

Rough’s Defender, Tony Graham, offered, “While he was aware that it was a vegetable in a sock, he is also aware it may have appeared different to others.”

In the end, the 28 year-old Rough was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months.

4 Soup Assault Of The Day

Every mall has one – a food court. During meal times, they can be noisy and crowded places. So, it is understandable if, from time to time, people get on each others nerves – a few harsh looks or, at worst, a few harsh words are exchanged and nothing more. And, maybe, just maybe, once in a blue moon, a couple of senior citizens use soup to assault somebody. Make that, definitely.

In the summer of 2019, in a mall located in the city of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, 2 senior citizens got into an argument with a 43 year-old woman. It escalated when the 2 elderly folks poured hot soup on the woman.
Police were called and the couple was cuffed and escorted out of the mall.

Thankfully, according to the police, the woman did not suffer any life-altering injuries.

3Potato Thug

Someone trying to force themselves into your home can be a scary experience. It might be just a tiny bit less scary if the intruder is armed with something you usually slather in sour cream or butter and eat.

In September of 2018, a Lake Tahoe, California woman had to fend off a man who forced his way into her home and threatened her with a potato into which he had carved the first initial of her first name.

41 year-old William James Best was there because the woman and his girlfriend had been quarreling. Potato in hand, Best repeatedly threatened the woman. Soon, though, the police arrived and he was placed under arrest.

Best was armed with a potato because, as he told police, it would, “increase his punching power.”

Sentenced to one year in prison, Best was put on supervised probation.

2 Zucchini 1 Bear 0

Bears are mammals belonging to the Ursidae family. You can find Bears in North and South America, Europe and Asia. They can survive up to 25 years in the wild or 50 in captivity. And, little known fact, at least one of them hates zucchini.

That is because of the desperate actions of a Montana woman who found herself face to face with a 200 pound black bear.

Lt. Rich Maricelli, of Missoula Sheriff’s Department, said that just after midnight, the bear attacked the woman’s dog on the back porch of her house.

The attack happened when the woman let her 3 dogs out for one last time before she went to bed. Two of her dogs spotted the bear and ran away. Her third dog, a collie, stayed close to the woman who stood in the doorway. Then, suddenly, the bear attacked the dog. The woman kicked the bear. The bear slashed at her legs – ripping her jeans.

Now fully concentrating on the woman, the bear tried to enter the house and managed to stick its head inside before the woman could get the door fully closed. With one hand, she held onto the door and with the other she grabbed the closest thing she could find – a 14 inch zucchini she had grown in her own garden. She threw it at the bear – bonking it in the head. Miraculously, that did the trick as the bear took off.

Thankfully, neither the woman nor her collie were badly injured and both were on the mend within a short period of time.

1 Pizza Pummeling

When a Pasco County Florida man found out his father helped deliver him at birth, he had a surprising reaction – he attacked him with a piece of pizza.

Robert Houston, 33, shoved the pizza in his father’s face while pinning him down on a chair and yelling at him. The police report reads, “The victim began to flail around trying to get the defendant off him at which point the defendant went outside and awaited law enforcement.”

When police arrived at the home and surveyed the crime scene, they saw a chair with a piece of pizza on it and cheese and sauce all over the place.

No word on why Houston reacted so violently to the baby delivery news.