Catapults Research Paper

In response to the use of castles and fortresses, siege weapons were created. Siege weapons ranged from short range weapons such as the battering ram to longer range ones like the trebuchet or the ballista. The battering ram was usually a big shed with an armored roof and wheels to protect the men inside operating a thick beam with an iron head hung from the roof that was swung into enemy walls to bring them down. The siege tower, a wheeled tower filled with men that would be used to get over the walls, also saw its use during this time. The trebuchet was used for longer range, the missiles launched by the trebuchet ranged from using dead bodies of animals or people to spread disease, a primitive example of biological warfare, to using large boulders to take down fortress walls. In response

The way a Trebuchet works is that a counter weight drops which pulls the arm forward and at the point of takeoff a pin releases the object that is being projected. The counterweight drops using gravity and is attached to the arm causing it to fly up and launch the object. Engineers have had previous experience in this field because of the world wide trebuchet launching competitions. One example of engineers making this trebuchet are the engineers from team NASAW in the Pumpkin Chunkin ' competition. Team NASAW has a trebuchet with a heavy weight and a long arm. There arm and weight start next to each other at the beginning. The weight drops forward and like a whip the arm swings around and fires the pumpkin into the air at insane speeds. They are one of the top competitors in the competition and have proven countless times that the design works wonderfully.

Gunpowder single handedly changed the world. What once started as fireworks, would eventually become the greatest aspect of warfare known to man. It was first used by the Chinese, as colorful displays of fire in the sky, but under the rule of the Ming and Ching it became a feared machine of war. Although the effects of gunpowder were mainly positive, there are still some major disadvantages.

The first cannon was found in Sweden and was dated back to 1326. It was used at the battle of Crecy in 1346. Cannons changed the tide of the war. They could take down ships blow up groups of people and you could stuff screws and nails in the cannon and fire it called grape shot. The first step to load a cannon is you take the worm (sacrapos) and Coleman the barrel. The second step is to use the Ladle (Cuchara) and lightly dip it in the waste and stick it down the barrel, to make sure all the sparks are out. The third step is to put the cannon gal, i. With a bag of gunpowder and use the rammer (Atacador) to pack them in the cannon. The fourth step is to use the Vent Pick to break the bag of gunpowder. The fifth step is to step back and light the

Light machine guns and sub-machine guns were invented during World War I as small arms, but the larger machine guns were modernized as well. Flame throwers were used as an offensive attack against trench warfare.[ix],[x]

They made the Battle Axe by a knot in a root or branch with a convenient to make a good battle axe. also would put frog poison on the darts and put them in the blowgun. Stone weapons, tomahawks and battle hammers were made from rocks of the correct overall shape by sharpening one edge and grinding a binding groove around the stone using other, harder stones.

Another result of technological progression was the matchlock, which would shoot with ignition of a lit match. "The introduction of firearms into the Elizabethan Weapons Arsenal saw the end of castle warfare and the building of the magnificent Medieval castles"(Alchin 1). With the invention of lethal, quick cannons came the decline of forts for defense as soldiers prepared for battle. Cannons were made of bronze and iron, in many different sizes, and they fired stone or iron, to be used on land or

Many various muskets were used as well as cannons. They would have a fixed blade like a spear point on the end of the musket that is called a bayonet. They would use it like a spear

The first addition to the trebuchet was a major advancement in technology. It was called the Counterweight Trebuchet. This counterweight was affixed to the end of the shorter arm and, without the need for ropes and people to pull the machine, space was available for lengthening the sling, which allowed the projectile

The discovery of gunpowder changed war from being fought with medieval weaponry and battle tactics to more modern day weapons and tactics because the gunpowder powered weapons are more deadly. Weapons that use gunpowder to launch projectiles have a greater range than melee weapons and are more powerful than bow and arrows. Also, cannons are more powerful and have a greater range and accuracy than catapults and they also can be reloaded faster than catapults. Gunpowder weapons changed war because they are stronger, more accurate, have a greater range and are able to be reloaded faster than medieval weaponry.

Inventions and innovations in weaponry and warfare helped both the Christians and the Muslims. In the end, both sides learned from their experiences in war, thus many new inventions emerged, including the lance, the longbow, the crossbow, the flail, full-body armor, and chainmail. There were many other inventions changed the way that battles were fought, and continue to be used in the modern world of war today. Gunpowder, for example, is an obvious discovery that contributed to the later invention of cannons, which changed the way battles were fought both on the land and at sea. Siege weapons were also invented and improved upon following the Crusades. The blueprints for these incredibly powerful weapons were brought back to Europe and modified in order to meet the challenges faced throughout the Crusades.

When we think of catapults we usually imagine them firing at castle walls during the medieval times, or standing in the background of a large army clashing with another in an action movie. However, catapults have a long and intricate history that twists and binds with our own, dating all the way back to 399 B.C. First documented by the Greek historian, Diodorus Siculus, in the form of an early design for the Ballista (type of catapult). Catapults were a staple for siege warfare all throughout history. The catapult was used by many different cultures, notably the Greeks, Roman, and Chinese in siege warfare; also

Handheld weapons represented a large portion of the weapons used during 16th Century warfare (Iannuzzo). Most commonly used was the sword. Throughout the middles ages, metals were developed to withstand more abuse and thus became more effective (Iannuzzo). The metals now had to strong enough to pierce through the newly developed armor of the time (Revell, "Armour"). The use of carbonized iron, which was heated, beaten, and cut the process repeated many times over to form a solid and durable and lighter than previous swords. The double edge sword was far superior in strength and sharpness of the other swords of the time (Grolier). The 16th century also brought forth the use of flamberge sword that had an undulating cutting edge, that was believed to be able to easily pierce the armor, but was too awkward for battle and was eventually abandoned. By this time the Great sword, sometimes over six feet in length, were being deployed. This sword was deadly only because of the pure size of it. The great swords required enormous strength just to hold and even more to be effective. Eventually the great sword became too awkward to use in battle just as the flamberge. These two inferior swords took a back seat to the smaller and more agile estoc sword. The estoc had a

During the 17th century the European powers developed a whole new array of firepower. The old gunpowder weapons that fired by

2017). From there, the Moors and the Ottoman Turks created their own forms of firearms. The Moors fought the Europeans in Spain for control of the area, and not even a year after that war the first firearms were finished in Italy. Soon after that the first cannons began to appear, the earliest to appear was from the Turks, they created the bombard. Which were these huge cannon, bigger than one could imagine. The bombards would blow down castle wall this was one of the key weapons that caused the city to fall. With it, fell the recipe of another type of gunpowder, which was mostly used as an early form of flame thrower (Sammon, J. 2012).