Siege WeaponsThe most famous Medieval Siege Weapons were the: The design of the trebuchet was an awesome piece of engineering - the machine was massive. Description of Siege Weapons Medieval Siege Weapons used during the Middle Ages were the Ballista, Mangonel, Battering Ram, Siege Tower and the awesome Trebuchet. A brief description of each of the major siege weapons and engines are as follows: - The Battering Ram
The Battering Ram and the Bore were used to literally 'batter' down, pound, punch and shake and drill into castle gates, doors and walls - The Ballista - The Ballista was similar to a Giant Crossbow and worked by using tension
- The Mangonel - Missiles were launched from a bowl-shaped bucket at the end of the one giant arm of the Mangonel
- The Trebuchet - The massive Trebuchet consisted of a lever and a sling and was capable of hurling stones weighing 200 pounds with a range of up to about 300 yards
- The Siege Tower - A siege weapon designed to protect attackers and their ladders whilst storming a weak area of the castle wall. The tower was usually rectangular with four wheels and a height equal to that of the wall, or sometimes even higher
Construction of Siege Weapons Medieval Siege warfare and building siege weapons was an extremely expensive business! All sieges had to be carefully planned and the exact type and number of siege weapons had to be established. Medieval Lords, knights and their Siege Engineers identified the weakest parts of the Castle or town that they needed to attack and planned the design of the siege engines accordingly. A workforce including carpenters and blacksmiths had to be transported to the site. The surrounding area was checked out for materials and supplies. Armed men and soldiers were expected to help prepare for the siege by helping to build the siege weapons and engines. Many elements needed to be taken into consideration when designing siege weapons. Click the following links for further details. Siege Weapon Design Siege Weapons Each section of this Middle Ages website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great monuments to bygone times. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of Middle Ages! Siege Weapons- Middle Ages era, period, life, age and times
- Middle Ages siege weapons - the Ballista, Mangonel, Battering Ram, Siege Tower and the Trebuchet
- Description of Siege Weapons
- Medieval Siege Weapons Design
- Construction of Siege Weapons
- History interesting facts and information about Medieval Siege Weapons
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