Plumbata Construction Variations

In examining images of the extant remains of Plumbata it is easy to see that there was significant diversity in the way they were constructed. These variations include length of head, point design, shape of the lead, and the cross section of the head. The metal head could be round, square, or circular in shape. The hollow, circular shafts often had the lead attached to the metal shaft rather than at the connection point between metal and wood. This was possible because the wood shaft was inserted into the head and held in place with 1 or 2 pins. The round and square heads were attached by having the lead cast around the connection point between the metal head and the wood shaft.