Ancient Projectile Identification Through Inverse Analysis: Case Studies from Pompeii

A straightforward method for determining the causes of impact relics left by ancient projectiles on the city walls of Pompeii is proposed based on principles of plasticity and fracture mechanics. The inverse analysis begins with the measured craters caused by spherical projectiles or darts launched by the Roman army during the siege of 89 B.C. A Mathematica© notebook is presented, enabling the calculation of projectile impact velocity from the known dimensions of the projectiles and the mechanical properties of the wall material.