page_title: Ranged weapon
section_title: Prehistoric and ancient period
hierarchical_section_title: Ranged weapon / List of ranged weapons / Prehistoric and ancient period
caption_attribution_description: English: Etrusia - Roman History http://romans.etrusia.co.uk/roman_army_intro_p3.php Contents 1 Credits 2 Licensed 3 Licensing 4 Original upload log Credits Etrusia - Roman History Licensed Certainly, you are welcome to use these images. The Creative Commons licence lets you use any of our images on any of our sites. We would be pleased to see any of them on Wikipedia. We would appreciate a credit or even a link back to the site where possible, of course. Heather (heather@etrusia.co.uk mails get forwarded to my own email account, which is why the reply comes from a different address.)
context_page_description: A ranged weapon is any weapon that can engage targets beyond hand-to-hand distance, i.e. at distances greater than the physical reach of the weapon itself. It is sometimes also called projectile weapon or missile weapon because it typically works by launching projectiles, though technically a directed-energy weapon is also a ranged weapon. In contrast, a weapon intended to be used in hand-to-hand combat is called a melee weapon.
  Ranged weapons give the attacker an advantage in combat, since the target is often getting hit from beyond immediate visual range, and therefore has less time to react and more difficulty defending and hitting back effectively. It also puts distance between the attacker and the opponent, which is a safer combat option since the close physical contact during melee combat often puts the attacker within the immediate striking range of enemy counterattack, and thus at an equal risk of getting hurt or killed.
context_section_description: Hand-thrown
  Atlatl
  Bolas
  Boomerang
  Chakram
  Dart
  Hunga Munga
  Javelin / pilum
  Kestros
  Knobkierrie
  Mbanja
  Nzappa zap
  Rungu
  Sling
  Spear
  Swiss arrow
  Throwing axe
  Throwing knife
  Throwing stick
  Woomera
  Elastic
  Bow
  Crossbow
  Repeating crossbow
  Slingshot
  Pneumatic
  Blowgun
  Siege weapon
  Catapult / mangonel
  Bed crossbow
  Onager
  Ballista
  Scorpion
  Polybolos
caption: Reconstruction of a post-Marian pilum
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