Probable missile fragment, reused as a smoother

This piece of a plain stone ball, comprising around half of the ball, was found in Peeblesshire. It was probably originally a missile and then later reused as a smoother, perhaps for linen cloth. It probably dates from the 15th or 16th century.

Half of a ball of greenstone, from Peeblesshire

Carved stone balls without any decoration are difficult to date or to be certain of their function. Those which are very regular spheres around 60 mm in diameter, sometimes with fine pecking marks all over or with evidence of heating, are most likely to have been missiles. They were used in anti-personnel artillery guns called 'cut-throats' or 'bersis' mainly in the 15th and 16th century AD.

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