"Els Foners Balears" were the ancient stone slingers of the Balearic Islands, mainly Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza, known for their exceptional skills in warfare. These warriors were famous for their ability to sling stones with incredible accuracy and power. The sling, consisted of a leather or fibre pouch attached to two cords. By swinging the sling and releasing one of the cords, they could hurl projectiles at high speed, often deadly enough to kill or incapacitate an enemy.
The Balearic slingers were highly valued as mercenaries, especially by the Carthaginians and later by the Romans. They fought in many important battles in the ancient Mediterranean, including the Punic Wars. According to some sources, they were trained from a young age by being forced to sling their food from a post to hone their accuracy.
Their reputation was such that the Romans eventually incorporated them into their own auxiliary forces. These warriors were considered a crucial part of the ancient battlefield, where ranged attacks could often determine the outcome of a battle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balearic_slinger