Roman crossbow pics

[Gaius Decius Aquilius]

The bolt, and I see no other purpose, by construction, seems to be intended to be placed on a shaft. This would be through a hollow core type shaft such as a reed. The exposed portion of the functional area is 6cm. (2.4 inches. THe "horns" project 3mm and are 7mm in length, making it totally incapable of catching any sort of blade. It is possible that these were intended to accentuat a flessh wound, or to catch on mail. The cross section of the "point" is flatend, and no more than 4mm thick. The front edges show wear, cominserate with being shot into something such as a wood target. It is of cast cupric alloy. It has the approximate weight of a a ball point pen. I see the most obvious function as a projectile point of some kind. It is simply to small and too light to be used otherwise, IMO.

Ralph