Pompeii's battle scars linked to an ancient 'machine gun'

Recorded: March 24, 2026, 2:23 a.m.

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March 19, 2026

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Pompeii's battle scars linked to an ancient 'machine gun'

by Paul Arnold, Phys.org

edited by
Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan

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Location of the study area: (A) location of Pompeii within the Italian Peninsula; (B) satellite view of the area (Google Earth Pro 7.3.6.10441); (C) SIT orthoimage of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, with the city walls between the northern gates highlighted; (D) detail of the aerial image showing the wall circuit (Google Maps 2025); (E) view of the extrados of the northern wall towards Tower X (photo by S.B., December 2023). Credit: Heritage (2026). DOI: 10.3390/heritage9030096

The ancient city of Pompeii is one of those archaeological sites that keeps on giving with one discovery after another. While much of what we know about the Roman settlement comes from the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, another significant event from nearly a century earlier is also yielding fresh insights into its past.

Ancient 'machine gun'
In a paper published in the journal Heritage, a team of researchers from Italy claims to have uncovered evidence of highly advanced weaponry used during the Siege of Sulla. Some commentators have likened it to an ancient version of a machine gun.
Pompeii's northern walls show significant signs of battle damage. Over the years, much research has focused on large, circular craters formed by heavy stone balls launched from standard Roman catapults. Scattered between these craters are smaller, four-sided holes arranged in a fan-like shape, often attributed to wear and tear or general battle damage.
The research team had a different explanation. They believed the distinct shapes were possibly caused by a polybolus, a weapon capable of firing multiple projectiles in rapid succession.

Comparison between a photo from the beginning of the 20th century (on the left, (A) photo by Van Buren, ca. 1925) [8] (Plate 60.1: Marks of the Sullan bombardment, Pompeii) and a current photo (on the right, (B) photo by S.B., September 2024), highlighting some circular ballistic marks. The measuring rod leaning against the wall, visible in the historical photograph (A), can be estimated at approximately 3 m in length based on comparison with the current survey and masonry dimensions, given that the wall height in this section is approximately 4.5 m. Credit: Heritage (2026). DOI: 10.3390/heritage9030096

Ballistic scars
To test their idea, the researchers produced high-resolution 3D models of the holes using laser scanning and photogrammetry. By analyzing the exact depth, width, and shape of the impacts, the team worked backwards to infer the type of weapon involved and the likely forces behind the strikes. Everything pointed to a high-velocity machine rather than a handheld weapon.
To see if they were on the right track, the research team compared the digital data to third-century BC Greek engineering blueprints that describe the mechanics of a repeating catapult. They were also able to match the fan-shaped pattern on the walls to the mechanical sweep of the weapon described in the manuals.

Another supporting line of evidence came from museum collections. Surviving projectiles from other Roman military sites, such as iron-tipped bolts associated with the Scorpion catapult, matched the dimensions of the 3D models created from the wall damage.

Scale comparison of two detailed textured mesh models: on the left, (A) ballistic impact of a spherical stone projectile; on the right, (B) fan-shaped groups of smaller quadrangular impacts. Survey, 3D models, and rendering by S.B. Credit: Heritage (2026). DOI: 10.3390/heritage9030096

"The unequivocally radial configuration of the closely spaced impacts observed at Pompeii... makes it reasonable to hypothesize the use of an automatic scorpion intended to strike archers emerging in succession from the lateral posterns of the towers or, higher up, defenders who briefly exposed themselves between the merlons once the provisional wooden parapets had been severely compromised," wrote the team in their paper.
Having identified the weapon, the researchers linked it to the damage to the siege of the city by the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla. They reached this conclusion because the city was buried by volcanic ash less than a century after the military action, which perfectly preserved the impacts. This ensured they were not erased by the passage of time.

Written for you by our author Paul Arnold, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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More information
Adriana Rossi et al, From Pompeii to Rhodes, from Survey to Sources: The Use of Polybolos, Heritage (2026). DOI: 10.3390/heritage9030096

Citation:
Pompeii's battle scars linked to an ancient 'machine gun' (2026, March 19)
retrieved 23 March 2026
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