Traces of an "ancient machine gun" have been found in Pompeii

Archaeologists have long noticed various types of damage on the northern walls of Pompeii. Large round indentations were attributed to the impact of stone nukes from catapults, but other smaller, quadrangular holes, arranged in a fan-shaped pattern, were also found near them.

Previously, they were thought to be normal signs of destruction, but a new study suggests a different explanation.

Details

The scientists created highly accurate 3D models of the damage using laser scanning and photogrammetry. Analyses of the shape, depth and location of the holes showed that they could have come from rapid and consistent shelling.

According to the researchers, such traces could have been left by a machine called polybol (polybolos) - an ancient mechanism capable of automatically feeding and releasing bolts one after another.

The characteristic fan-shaped arrangement of holes coincides with the way such a device could "scour" a section of the wall when shooting.

Additional evidence was found by comparing it with ancient engineering descriptions and actual shells from other Roman military monuments.

Scientists attribute this damage to the siege of Pompeii by Lucius Cornelius Sulla in the 1st century B.C. Thanks to the fact that the city was soon buried under the ashes of Vesuvius, traces of the battle have survived almost unchanged.

Why it matters

The study helps to:

• better understand the military technology of antiquity
• clarify the details of the siege of Pompeii
• revise the level of development of ancient weaponry

Scientists say such findings could change the way we think about the capabilities of ancient armies - some mechanisms may have been much more sophisticated than thought.

Background

The polybolus was described as early as in ancient sources as a type of catapult with automatic projectile delivery. However, actual evidence of its use remains rare.

Source

The new study is published in the journal Heritage and is based on analysing damage to the walls of Pompeii using modern digital techniques.