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Gourds used as hand grenades.
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There is historical evidence that the Incas used gourds for warfare, as well as more mundane objects. They used them as hand grenades in at least two manners. They could be dampened, then filled with coals and tossed into compounds and onto flammable structures to ignite them.
They also would cut a hole in a dried gourd (much like making a birdhouse) and hang them up. Frequently (then as now, if you've ever tried gourds as birdhouses) instead of birds occupying the gourd, wasps would build a nest in it. You can imagine the distraction and confusion that enraged wasps could provide when the gourd was tossed into a crowd. I just hate yellow-jacket stings myself, and would quickly beat a hasty, yelping retreat.
  
  
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