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Building The Medieval Trebuchet: Assembling A Half-Scale Historical Machine, Daniel Bertrand
Building The Medieval Trebuchet: Assembling A Half-Scale Historical Machine, Daniel Bertrand
Research on Capitol Hill
In the Middle Ages, armies built trebuchets to destroy enemy castles. The trebuchet is a type of catapult that uses a falling counterweight to throw projectiles.
Many trebuchets were huge machines over 60 feet tall and their construction was complex. The methods used to erect a trebuchet in history are not widely known.
My Research Question: How were trebuchets designed and assembled in the Middle Ages?
Through experimental history, I used primary sources to design a trebuchet. This machine is half-scale: 30 feet tall.
I built this trebuchet with medieval techniques, assembled it with an ancient type of crane hoist, …