Trebuchet — Middle Ages

The story behind the answer

You can tell by the long throwing beam pivoting on a fixed axle, the big boxy counterweight, and the sling at the end. This design uses gravity, not twisted rope, to hurl massive stones with smooth acceleration, great range, and accuracy. That separates it from the mangonel/onager (torsion-powered, jerky release) and the ballista (a giant crossbow firing bolts).

Developed from earlier traction designs, the counterweight version spread across the medieval Mediterranean by the 12th century and became the premier wall‑breaker before gunpowder. Famous engines like Edward I’s “Warwolf” reportedly smashed castle walls at Stirling in 1304. These machines could throw 100+ kg stones hundreds of meters, and sometimes lob incendiaries or even carcasses to spread fear and disease during sieges.