| We typically think of a catapult as
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| | were that they originated in China around
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| something that was used in the Middle
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| | the 3rd and 4th Century BC and this type
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| Ages to destroy the walls of a castle.
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| | of early catapult was much like a big
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| But catapults have a very long history
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| | crossbow. They stood around 8 feet tall.
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| dating long before the time of castles
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| | True that these are catapults but the
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| and they were developed and designed in
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| | thing that makes a catapult into the
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| many different ways by many different
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| | machine we generally consider to be
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| cultures over the centuries.
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| | authentic is the development of the
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| What is a catapult?
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| | swinging arm. This is the arm that holds
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| The general definition is that a catapult
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| | the bucket and projectile.
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| is a machine that stores energy then
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| | Variations of Catapults
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| quickly releases this energy to fire a
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| | The term "catapult" is used to define a
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| projectile. To be a "real" catapult the
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| | very wide variety of large machines for
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| machine generally has to be too large for
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| | hurling projectiles and some of the more
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| a person to carry. If we just used the
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| | common variations include the trebuchet,
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| storage and release of energy to define a
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| | which is a catapult that uses gravity and
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| catapult then a longbow would also fit
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| | a seesaw effect to hurl its projectile.
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| this definition. So the size of the
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| | Another variation is the ballista, which
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| machine is important.
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| | is similar to a crossbow and uses twisted
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| How did catapults develop?
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| | skeins of material to create torsion as
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| Catapults are an offshoot of the
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| | its way of storing energy for release.
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| Crossbow. Over time crossbows got larger
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| | The End of Catapults
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| and larger. They went from being a
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| | With the invention and use of gunpowder
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| hand-held weapon to something called the
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| | and the subsequent creation of artillery
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| Belly-Bows which were so large they had
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| | the catapult became obsolete as the
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| to be braced against a knight's belly.
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| | weapon of choice for warfare around the
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| From there they got even larger and
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| | fourteenth century.
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| became something called stand crossbows
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| | Catapults have a long history and changed
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| where they were mounted on stands.
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| | dramatically over many centuries. The
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| Eventually they got large enough to be
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| | true catapult that we think of today as a
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| defined as something in their own right
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| | siege engine only saw limited use in the
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| and no longer crossbows. This size change
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| | middle ages. Just as it was coming into
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| also brought about changes in how they
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| | its power as a machine of destruction
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| operated.
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| | gunpowder and artillery quickly replaced
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| When did the first catapults appear and
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| | it as the weapon of choice.
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| where? The earliest writings of catapults
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