Object Description
A Byzantine earthenware hand grenade featuring a hollow bulbous body. To the top, the vessel leads to a short neck and splays out slightly into a thick rim with a small mouth, now with a chip. 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. This grenade has been left unadorned.
Date: Circa 9th-11th century AD