Trebuchet

TREBUCHET REPORT <Tab/>Before gunpowder and bullets were invented, the trebuchet was the artillery machine that armies chose to fight with the most. In medieval times it was considered the deadly weapon. It became unnecessary when guns came along. Some machines were so big they could throw cows, sheep, horses, or even something as big as a car. Smaller machines were sometimes made that could hurl things the size of tennis …

…in length. Its counterpoise weighed five tons and the machine could propel a 50-pound object some 200 yards. This light version is said to not have been able to operate at its full potential. The history of trebuchets continues today as historians and re-enactors create replicas for learning and for mock battle. Their power to bring down fortified walls was even displayed recently on the big screen within the epic trilogy "The Lord of the Rings."