Byzantine Pottery Grenade, 10th-12th Century

Crusades period. 5 1/8" height, dark gray terracotta. The body of turnip form with an annular depression for better purchase. The shoulder with faint decorative band and top with a cylindrical wick. Known as "Greek fire" these were filled with flammable pitch and thrown or catapulted. Upon impact, they would burst to spew their burning contents which would start fires as well as burn any enemy in their path. In the absence of antibiotics, such burns usually led to a slow death from infection.