Medieval Siege Tower

Timeline

1. 1161–1170Levant · LevantIn the 1160s Crusader states and Ayyubid-Zengid forces frequently besieged each other on the Levantine frontier; both Latin and Muslim sides used multi-story wooden siege towers to approach stone castles and fortresses, with crossbows mounted on top to suppress the defenders while infantry inside crossed via lowering bridging boards. Siege manuals of the Hospitallers and Knights Templar list the siege tower alongside trebuchets and mining as a standard tactical combination.
2. 1161–1170Western Europe (England, France, Italy) · Western EuropeIn the civil wars and frontier conflicts of the Western European kingdoms in the 1160s, the siege tower (French berfrid, English belfry) remained the principal engine for taking motte-and-bailey and stone castles; its sides were protected against fire by wet hides and iron nails, it required large numbers of carpenters and ropemakers to assemble on site, and its advance was constrained by ditches and counter-engines, embodying the integrated engineering-tactical character of medieval siege warfare.