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Jo Buckberry identifies 14th-century skeleton as first recorded victim of trebuchet trauma

Jo Buckberry, a biological anthropologist at Bradford University, has identified a 14th-century skeleton as the first documented victim of a trebuchet attack in archaeological history. The remains, known as Skeleton 150, were discovered in the chapel of Stirling Castle in Scotland during the late 1990s. The individual, a man in his 20s, suffered 161 peri-mortem fractures across his skull, ribs, and limbs. Buckberry's research indicates that the man was likely struck by a high-velocity projectile from a siege engine, such as the famous 'War Wolf' trebuchet used by King Edward I during the 1304 siege of Stirling Castle. The unique zigzag fracture patterns found on the bones are similar to those seen in modern road traffic accidents, but the high-velocity impact occurred over 700 years ago. Buckberry noted that the unusual amount of trauma suggests the man was standing and facing away from the impact when he was hit. The discovery highlights the brutality of medieval warfare and provides the first clear skeletal evidence of the massive force exerted by these gravity-powered catapults.

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