Trebuchet Siege Warfare (1160s)

Timeline

1. 1161–1165Syria · SyriaArtisans and military engineers of the Zengid Sultanate improved the counterweight trebuchet (mangonel/trebuchet) structure, enlarging the counterweight box and throwing arm to increase stone range and accuracy, making it the standard engine for taking stone castles.
2. 1163–1167Antioch and Aleppo front · LevantCrusader states and Zengid forces bombarded walls and towers with trebuchets in contests over fortresses such as Antioch and Harim, while defenders mounted counter-trebuchets on the battlements. Sieges often lasted months, with engine numbers and ammunition supply becoming decisive.
3. 1167–1169Cairo · EgyptDuring Shirkuh (Saladin)'s advance into Egypt as Nur al-Din's commander, both sides made extensive use of trebuchets in the siege of fortresses such as Bilbeis. The spread of engine technology and combat experience laid the foundation for the later Ayyubid unification of the Levant and Egypt.