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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Bart9349, post: 8418454, member: 5682&quot;]The caltrop is a nice find. It was probably most effective for use against enemy horses and possibly elephants.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a recent article on the recent discovery of a caltrop at a Roman burial in Britain:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1493056[/ATTACH]</p><p>A skeleton and a caltrop [a Roman era device similar to police spikes possibly used to stop advancing troops and horses]. Both were unearthed at Grange Paddocks by archaeologists (Image: East Herts District Council)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/roman-skeletons-weapons-discovered-during-7004357" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/roman-skeletons-weapons-discovered-during-7004357" rel="nofollow">https://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/news/hertfordshire-news/roman-skeletons-weapons-discovered-during-7004357</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Here’s some nice background information from the Trimontium Museum in Scotland:</p><p><br /></p><p>“A Caltrop, or Tribulus, is a weapon made up of two or more sharp nails or spines arranged in such a manner that one of them always points upward.</p><p><br /></p><p>They would often be hidden in grass or fords as part of defences that slowed the advancement of marching troops and horses, especially those drawing chariots. It was common for them to be used in areas around forts.</p><p><br /></p><p>The name “caltrop” comes from the Latin <i>calcitrapa</i> (foot-trap).</p><p><br /></p><p>The synonymous Latin word “tribulus” provides part of the modern scientific name of a plant commonly called the caltrop, whose spiked seed case can injure feet and even puncture tyres.”</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.trimontium.co.uk/archive-item/caltrop-replica/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.trimontium.co.uk/archive-item/caltrop-replica/" rel="nofollow">https://www.trimontium.co.uk/archive-item/caltrop-replica/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Here is a good video on ancient booby traps. The information about the use of caltrops begins at 7:30:</p><p><br /></p><p>[MEDIA=youtube]mLmT-wMBw3I[/MEDIA][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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