Ближний Восток и его соседи

g 200 h David Nicolle 92. A simplified illustration showing, with slight exaggeration, the chamfered or al- most “pencil-sharpened” form of the front of many crossbow bolts found in the Citadel of Damascus. 93. When arrowheads are found in isolation, not attached to any form of shaft, it is difficult to determine whether they were intended for an arrow or a crossbow bolt. Such a judgement is usually made on the basis of size, so these substantial tanged blades found during archaeological excavations in the late 12th and 13th century Ayyūbid castle of Qal c at al-Fara’un on a small island off the coast of Sinai in the Gulf of Aqaba, are presumed to be for crossbow bolts or perhaps even for javelins. (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities; IFEO photograph).