Siege Tower

Timeline

1. 900–1060Byzantine Empire · ByzantiumSiege towers inherited from classical mobile towers and Roman siege engine traditions; the Byzantine and Arab worlds continued to use and improve their protection (wet hides against fire, multi-story structures) in 10th–11th-century sieges.
2. c. 1081–1090Western Europe · Western EuropeIn the 1080s, during territorial wars and castle sieges among European princes, attackers often built or assembled mobile siege towers, combining them with ditch-filling and covering fire to approach the walls; timber, iron nails, and labor consumption were enormous, often requiring weeks or even months of preparation.
3. c. 1090–1099Antioch and Jerusalem · LevantDuring the Crusader sieges of Antioch, Jerusalem, and other places in 1097–1099, siege towers were used on a large scale alongside trebuchets and mining; defenders countered with fire attacks, counter-engines, and sorties to destroy tower bases, forming the classic medieval siege attack-and-defense system.