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Forum:	Castles In General & Medieval History
Topic:	trebuchets

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Shelly The first mention I have heard of a trebuchet being used was during the siege of Chateau Gaillard in 1204. My question is was it a true couterweight trebuchet as opposed to a traction trebuchet that required human muscle in place of the counterbalance? I am trying to find info on when the first true trebuchets started being commonly used in siege warfare.
Philip Davis Trebuchet seem to be one of those things that Europeans picked up from the Arabs. In Medieval Warfare: A History edited by Maurice Keen (Oxford University Press 1999) Peter Edbury writes that the Muslims used counterweight trebuchets and that Saladin employed trebuchets in his campaigns of 1187 and 1188. I seem to recall reading elsewhere that the arabs got the trebuchet from the east but I can't find a reference to that. The Mongels certainly used Chinese seige engineers in there invasion of Persia so perhaps thats a route for in dispersal of the idea.
Certainly it is often suggested that Chateau Gaillard was designed to resist trebuchet attack (the notable scalloped wall of the inner bailey for example) so counterweight trebuchet's must have been known of in the West when that castle was built.
There appear to be numerous references to trebuchets being used from about 1200 onwards both in the Muslim reconquest of the Levant, in Albigensian crusade (1209-29) and elsewhere.
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Peter I did have an article in an issue of my magazine Postern regarding this issue, from one Robert Morgan. Who is somewhat of an expert on these things. I'll dig a copy out and see what I can find .. if anything !
Levan A few sites that have some information - it's more rudimentary that what you are seeking, but may be of interest to others:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/knowledge/historyquest/articles/ancientmachinesofwar.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/knowledge/historyquest/articles/caerlaverock03.html
http://www.tfguild.org/news/trebuchet600.html
http://members.nbci.com/montjoie/highflng.htm
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/27mstrebuchet.html
http://www.xenophongroup.com/montjoie/treb_etc.htm
A picture or two are on my own website: http://fp.kirkburn.f9.co.uk/castlelevan/nearby/castles/caelaverock/caelaverock.htm
At one time the BBC had much more detailed information about the programme where several siege engines were recreated by Renaud at Caelaverock Castle (which included some good diagrams and an animation). Alas, I couldn't find it this time around.
More detailed information on trebuchets and other mediaeval siege engines is available from the following excellent links page:
http://www.eccentriclabs.com/treblink.htm
Levan