Late Roman Plumbata War-Dart – Small – Deepeeka

This Late Roman Plumbata War Dart has a shaft of wood and a barbed Arrowhead of blackened steel. The dart weight is mild steel and the stabilizing fins are of leather. The weight is of lead, like the originals.

Although evidence for the use of Martiobarbuli war darts can be found to Classical Greece, these thrown missile weapons are most iconic to Late Roman and Byzantine warfare where infantry would keep several darts fitted to a brace inside of the shield, ready to be hurled en-masse onto opposing infantry or cavalry. The fitted weight ensured they struck with force that was more deadly than the small size of the dart would suggest. Like the earlier pilum, most plumbatae had a barbed head with a thin shaft made of iron – a material that intended to bend upon impact. It was a clever innovation that ensured that few of the plumbata could be thrown back at the Romans in the battle.

Though they did not strike with the greater force of the earlier Pilum javelin, the smaller size of the Plumbata ensured that a larger amount of them could be carried into battle and also carried more conveniently. When launched en-masse they served their purpose of at least harassing and disorienting the advancing formation of a foe, or softening them up with scattershot injuries before the Roman charge.