A new analysis of ancient ceramic pots from Jerusalem shows that some may have been used as hand grenades during the Crusades.
Sphero-conical archaeological artifacts are found in museums around the world and have been linked to everything from carrying liquids to acting as a smoking pipe.
The new analysis shows that carrying explosives was one of their functions.
The four pot sherds found in the walled Old City of Jerusalem between 1961 and 1967, and held in the Royal Ontario Museum, were found to have one vessel.
A sphero-conical vessel. The Roger's Fund is in the public domain.
This research has shown the diverse use of these unique ceramic vessels which include ancient explosives.
During the time of the Crusades, these vessels were reported as grenades thrown against Crusader strongholds producing loud noises and bright flashes of light.
The other three vessels most likely contained oils, scented material, and medicines, according to the researchers. What would be expected from containers like this matches up with that.
The fourth vessel, a stoneware pot with very thick walls and no decoration, contained remnants that pointed to the possibility of chemical storage or chemical explosives. Sulfur, mercury, and magnesium were all detected at higher levels than the other pots and the surrounding soil.
Black powder, also known as gunpowder, was invented in China in the 9th century. The team behind the new study thinks the chemical mix points to a different explosion.
This research has shown that it is not black powder and that it is a local invention.
The researchers aren't ruling out other potential uses for the fourth pot, like a fuel source for a lamp or a container for oils, since there was also the presence of fatty acids.
The grenade hypothesis is worth considering further due to the vessel's shape, size and thickness.
Robert Mason is at the Royal Ontario Museum.
The shape and size of one of the recovered vessels suggest it was used as a grenade.
The use of weapons similar to hand grenades and relics similar to the one outlined in this study have been found elsewhere.
Researchers are looking to understand how war was waged thousands of years ago.
What was inside these early hand grenades is not known. There is no consensus on what the recipe for Greek fire is, and its makers never documented the process of putting it together.
More research on these vessels and their explosive content will allow us to understand the history of explosives in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The research has been published.
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