Catapults were important weapons of war before guns and cannons were invented. A catapult was a simple machine. It was used to throw heavy objects at the enemy with great force. Catapults were made up of a long wooden arm with a large cup on the end. Attached to the arm was a rotating tube, called a winch. A rope was fastened to the arm and wound around the winch. To set the catapult, soldiers tightened the rope by winding the winch. They loaded the cup with a large rock or other objects. Then they released the rope. The arm swung forward, flinging the load. A large catapult could hurl a stone as far as 1,500 feet (460 meters). Soldiers often used catapults to destroy castle walls. They usually needed more than one catapult for a successful attack on a castle. Soldiers also used catapults to fling spears at an advancing army. Armies used large and small catapults. They wheeled small catapults with them to battles. Carpenters traveling with armies often built catapults on the way to a battle. Larger catapults usually stayed in one place. People living in cities and castles used such large catapults to defend themselves. The earliest catapults appeared during the 1200s BC. The ancient Romans improved the catapult and made catapults on wheels. Today's armies use devices based on the catapult to launch missiles and airplanes. |