Mike wrote, directed and presented this 9 minute video, which introduces the new Medieval Technology Park at the Middeladlercentret, Nykøbing, Denmark. The park showcases working models of large scale medieval machines. These have been recreated from designs depicted in medieval manuscripts and show a remarkable degree of engineering ingenuity.
Today it was my privilege to work with Luis Livermore - a slinger from the Balearic isles. He is the real deal! Like all true champs he is gracious and generous with his knowledge. He coached me and I now know a lot of things to work on with my slinging. His own skills are phenomenal and terrifying. He can throw a distance if 400 metres and at shorter ranges he is deadly accurate , producing a deafening whip-crack with the tail of his sling on each throw - an indication of the speed and power of the throw. He hurled great snookerball sized rocks and he threw lead glandes. He also had some ancient specimens he has found on the island of Minorca. Some of these were lead glandes wrapped in baked clay to give them a larger and smoother aerodynamic shape. Seeing these was a lightbulb moment for me. The glandes suddenly made more sense. With that preset form from the mould it would be a simple matter for soldiers to roll them in clay and make a good acorn shape , having the weight of the lead at the centre. It makes the Ines with inscriptions into a bizarre and macabre form of fortune cookie. He also had a couple cast in bronze. All very interesting, as was using a properly made sling.
23 hours ago ·
Very good to be back in Denmark at the Middelaldercentret. I'm here for six days filming for German tv. Yesterday we did a sequence on incendiary arrows with my old friend Jens Christiansen
3 days ago ·
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