Bullet From 2,000 Years Ago With Inscription of Julius Caesar's Name May Have Been Used During Roman Civil War

The inscriptions on the old bullet suggest that indigenous individuals in Spain may have supported Julius Caesar in the Roman civil war.

2,000-year-old Bullet With Julius Caesar's Name Inscription

A lead bullet with an almond shape and with inscriptions of Julius Caesar and an unknown city's name could show that indigenous people from Spain could have supported Caesar's cause back then. This would have been during the Roman civil war, which was ultimately successful for the would-be dictator. This took place over 2,000 years ago. This was noted by a new study entitled "Around the Bellum Hispaniense and the Glandes Inscriptae from Hispania. A New Projectile with a Caesarian Inscription from Montilla (Córdoba)."

It is also likely that the bullet was fired from a slingshot.

The unique lead projectile analysis sheds insight regarding the battles of Spain. For instance, an inscription over the bullet points to a prehistoric town that was never before noted in the civil war records of Caesar.

Specialists know the artifact as a "glans inscripta," which means an inscribed bullet. It measures 4.5 centimeters by 2 centimeters and weighs 71 grams. The making of the projectile involves the use of a mold in which some molten lead was poured.

Both mold sides have letters engraved. This results in a bullet that has raised inscriptions that read CAES on one side and IPSCA on the other. A part of the projectile appeared deformed. This could have been due to its impact on a hard object when it was launched.

Ancient Town Inscription

The researchers argued in the study that the term "IPSCA" almost clearly points to an ancient town that participated in the Caesar-Pompey civil war. However, there are no early Spanish battle written sources that mention Ipsca.

As the projectile was only found close to Montilla city, Ipsca could have been involved during Caesar's last decisive battles, the researchers note.

Javier Moralejo Ordax, the study's lead author and an assistant archaeology professor from the Autonomous University of Madrid, explains that during the first century BC, several inscribed glandes were made as they proved to be useful when it came to housing short and extremely specific messages. For this specific projectile, the message likely could have held meanings of political propaganda and encouragement for the troops of Caesar.

Across Spain, only one other bullet was found to have the inscription of Caesar's name. This other one is from the Jaén province.

Roman historian Robert Morstein-Marx from the University of California, Santa Barbara, who did not participate in the study, explains that the findings are interesting since, if they are true, they would serve as the first appearance of a bullet that was used by slingers in the army. Morstein-Marx adds that Ipsca inhabitants could have publicly professed their loyalty to the ruler to those on the other side that have decided to fight for the sons of Pompey.

Overall, the Ipsca town could have aided Caesar in securing victory across Spain and prompting various chain events.

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