Only known trebuchet casualty in history identified from Stirling Castle skeleton
A skeleton found beneath Stirling Castle's chapel has been identified as the only known trebuchet casualty in history, researchers reported at a paleopathology meeting.
The skeleton, known only as Skeleton 150, belonged to a defender killed during a medieval siege. A trebuchet scored a chance hit, and a small boulder slammed into his upper back at close to 300 kilometers an hour, smashing bones and crushing him beneath its weight. Even among other remains at the site who had clearly died violent deaths, this skeleton stood out because most of his upper body had been shattered.
According to the report, the man's skull had broken in 61 separate places, with another 60 jagged bits of bone distributed across his ribs. His right shoulder was broken, and his right leg above the knee was basically shattered. Buckberry says that Skeleton 150 is the only known trebuchet casualty in history.