Editing Sling (weapon) (section)

=== The Americas ===
[[File:Andean sling 01.jpg|thumb|right|A South American sling made of [[alpaca]] hair]]

The sling was known throughout the Americas.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Chumash Sling |work=ABOtech.com |author=Paul Campbell |url=http://www.abotech.com/Articles/Campbell02.htm |access-date=16 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608031819/http://abotech.com/Articles/Campbell02.htm |archive-date=8 June 2007 }}</ref>

In ancient Andean civilizations such as the [[Inca Empire]], slings were made from llama wool. These slings typically have a cradle that is long and thin and features a relatively long slit. Andean slings were constructed from contrasting colours of wool; complex braids and fine workmanship can result in beautiful patterns. Ceremonial slings were also made; these were large, non-functional and generally lacked a slit. To this day, ceremonial slings are used in parts of the Andes as accessories in dances and in mock battles. They are also used by llama herders; the animals will move away from the sound of a stone landing. The stones are not slung to hit the animals, but to persuade them to move in the desired direction.

The sling was also used in the Americas for hunting and warfare. One notable use was in Incan resistance against the [[conquistador]]s. These slings were apparently very powerful; in ''[[1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus]]'', author [[Charles C. Mann]] quoted a conquistador as saying that an Incan sling "could break a sword in two pieces" and "kill a horse".<ref>Mann, pg. 84.</ref> Some 
slings spanned as much as {{convert|86|in|m|1|order=flip|sp=us}} long and weighed an impressive {{convert|14.4|oz|g|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flight-toys.com/slings.htm|title=Slings from Peru and Bolivia|publisher=Flight-toys.com |date=2010-02-18 |access-date=2010-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| title = Slings in the Iron Age| author = Jane Penrose| date = 10 October 2005| publisher = Bloomsbury USA| isbn = 9781841769325| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=99haLasvV3gC&q=iron+helmet+sling&pg=PA139| access-date = 30 June 2010}}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>