What is a trebuchet?

The trebuchet was a siege weapon (siege engine) that hurled objects at enemy fortresses or armies. Typically, especially later in design, a counterweight was used with a lever that created acceleration in the opposing end of the lever with a sling attached to an arm of the lever to fling objects.

The trebuchet was loaded with such items as rocks, iron balls and rocks covered in oil and set fire. These rudimentary forms of artillery could devastate a wall, allowing the army to enter a fortress with far less casualties than a straight assault.

It first use was in the 4th Century BCE in China. It would later be used by Byzantines and introduced into Europe in the 6th Century CE. It was a mainstay in Medieval warfare against castles and other stone fortresses.

The design allowed the trebuchet to be packed up in the field for easy transport and setup as the army advanced. Their presence was terrifying to the people held up in castles and lowered the time to take a fortress militarily from months to days.

The most recent use was by Syrian Rebels during the civil war in Syria when photographers recorded the use to hurl explosives at Syrian strongholds.