Ancient Roman armies are known for their power and efficiency, but new research suggests that the Romans may have had even more sophisticated weapon systems than previously thought.
According to Italian researchers, who reported their findings in a science publication Heritage, tell us that circular damage found on the walls of Pompeii very likely came from a so-called "polybolos", a Greek-derived repeating catapult. This is what the researchers describe as a kind of "ancient machine gun", as reported by The Telegraph.
The study is based on the discovery of strange, fan-shaped craters on the north wall of Pompeii. These damage have been exceptionally well preserved, despite the city's Roman-era repairs, World War II bombings and natural disasters. The findings date back to 89 BC, when the Roman army under Lucius Cornelius Sulla besieged the city. In the end, Sulla managed to isolate the city, cut off its supply routes, and force it to surrender after a long siege.
Researchers from the Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania and the University of Bologna spent five years analysing the damage using modern digital measurement techniques. They built three-dimensional models of the damage to the walls and compared them to known ancient military technology. The results strongly suggested to the use of a polybolos, which was capable of firing metal-tipped projectiles in rapid succession. The polybolos itself is based on Greek engineering, and differs from traditional catapults in that it had an automated loading mechanism.
Researchers also pointed out, that the craters found in the walls of Pompeii were not created as a result of breaching the fortifications. The idea was to specifically eliminate its defenders.
The final fate of Pompeii is best known for the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, which covered the city in ash and pumice. It was this catastrophe that also helped preserve older structures and damage, which now provide new information about ancient warfare.
American TV show Mythbusters once tried to build its own polybolos. Their project had its set of own problems.
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