160 plus fractures found in Scottish castle skeleton may be first confirmed trebuchet death

The 14th century warrior’s skull was broken in 61 places. (University of Bradford photo) A skeleton uncovered beneath Scotland’s Stirling Castle may be the first confirmed archaeological evidence of a person killed by a trebuchet. Known to archaeologists as Skeleton 150, the remains belong to a defender who appears to have been killed during a battle in the early 14th century by a weapon that sent a huge boulder flying through the air.According to Science Magazine, the skeleton was uncovered in 1997 during excavations beneath the chapel at Stirling Castle. Researchers found nine skeletons in graves at the site, with five of them dating to the 1300s. Several of the remains showed signs of injuries linked to violence and combat.Now, a detailed study of Skeleton 150 has provided the first confirmed archaeological evidence of trauma caused by a trebuchet. A trebuchet was a large medieval siege engine used to throw heavy objects, including stones, over long distances. The pattern of injuries suggests that the man was hit by a very large object travelling at high speed.Jo Buckberry, a bioarchaeologist at the University of Bradford, presented the findings at the biennial European meeting ...