Stirling Castle skeleton may be first documented trebuchet victim

Researchers believe a 700-year-old skeleton discovered at Stirling Castle may represent the first documented archaeological evidence of a person killed by a trebuchet. The remains, identified as ‘Skeleton 150’, belonged to a man between the ages of 22 and 34.

Using X-rays, microscopy, and micro-CT scanning, biological anthropologists from the University of Bradford and Uppsala University identified 167 fractures sustained at or around the time of death. The trauma included 61 fractures to the skull and 57 to the ribs, along with extensive damage to the vertebrae, arms, and right shoulder. The distribution of these blunt-force injuries suggests a single, massive impact from behind.

The findings align with the 1304 siege of Stirling Castle by King Edward I of England, who utilized the ‘War Wolf’, a massive trebuchet capable of launching projectiles weighing up to 140kg. The study was presented at the 25th European Meeting of the Paleopathology Association in Berlin.