Object Description
A Byzantine earthenware hand grenade featuring a hollow bulbous body with a pointed base. To the top, the vessel leads to a short neck and splays out slightly into a thick rim with a small mouth. This allowed the item to be filled with an explosive liquid known as ‘Greek fire’ and used as a hand grenade in battle. The mouth would have also accommodated a fuse to instigate the explosion. As typical for Byzantine grenades, this piece displays incised bands used to help with grip. Several horizontally lines go across the middle section of the body, some of which have faded.
Date: Circa 9th-11th century AD