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Author
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Topic: Building medieval siege engines on TV.
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Betsy
Member
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posted 02-02-2000 10:45 AM
 
If you get a chance, watch a program on the PBS television network (in the USA)on building a trebuchet, part of the "Secrets of lost empires series." It was on last night for the first time. The program had a lot of information on castles and sieges in addition to the building of the trebuchet. They often repeat programs. There is also a companion web site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/lostempires/trebuchet/ which has additional information on castle life and an opportunity to build a virtual siege engine. I have no idea how long this information will be available. |
Philip Davis
unregistered
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posted 02-02-2000 06:03 PM
Thanks for this link. Since I live in the UK I'll probably have to wait to see the program but the web site is quite informative and I enjoyed the shockwave game. I recall someone a while ago gave a link to the wood framers web site, where more details and photo's of the trebucket were online. Does anyone recall the link?------------------
Neurotics build castles in the air, psychotics live in them, Psychiatrists charge the rent, art therapists do the interior design and nurses clean out the garderobes!
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/members/philipdavis/index.html |
Castleguy
Member
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posted 02-02-2000 07:55 PM
The show would be interesting. When at Caerphilly Castle in south Wales I was fortunate to see 3 such engines. Stone balls about the size of bowling balls could be hurled....100 yards or so(if I remember right). The castle also had a giant...(not compound) bow that shot a five or 6 foot spear. What a sight it was! They also sold videos of them being used |
Castleguy
Member
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posted 02-02-2000 07:56 PM
The show would be interesting. When at Caerphilly Castle in south Wales I was fortunate to see 3 such engines. Stone balls about the size of bowling balls could be hurled....100 yards or so(if I remember right). The castle also had a giant...(not compound) bow that shot a five or 6 foot spear. What a sight it was! They also sold videos of them being used |
duncan
Senior Member
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posted 02-03-2000 10:37 AM
See High land fling at http://www.tfguild.org/ |
canadab
Senior Member
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posted 02-04-2000 10:57 AM
The spear throwing device is a ballista. They were an effetive "artillary" piece fired against shield walls or horsemen or other non-stone defenses. They could be loaded with either a pointed speartip or a blunt. These were sometime shod with iron to prevent shattering on impact. ------------------
If you can dream it, you can make it a reality. |
duncan
Senior Member
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posted 02-05-2000 06:56 AM
Many types of missles were fired from these and other weapons, 2 logs tied loosly together with lengths of chain, multiple 8 foot arrows, clay pots filled with combustables, and greek fire was even mentioned in a few of the older texts. This is a very limited example of the heritage of todays weapons |
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