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This episode examines the trebuchet, a fearsome, gravity-powered
catapult that flung stone missiles with great speed, accuracy and
destructive power.
This episode examines the trebuchet, a fearsome, gravity-powered
catapult that flung stone missiles with great speed, accuracy and
destructive power. The first large-scale mechanized weapon, it
transformed medieval warfare. Two teams of timber framers,
engineers and historians attempt to build replicas of this
13th-century deterrent. Armed only with traditional tools, the
teams work in a swampy field beside Loch Ness in northern Scotland.
As the giant wooden catapults stand poised to fling 250-pound
stones into the air, NOVA recaptures the suspense, violence and
ingenuity that characterized the medieval siege.