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Song Dynasty Bed Crossbows

Type Object Region China Time 1071–1080

The bed crossbow was a large Song siege crossbow mounted on a wooden frame and drawn by windlass, widely deployed in city and frontier defenses, repr…

Timeline

  1. 1071–1074Bureau of Armaments workshops · Kaifeng CityThe Northern Song Bureau of Armaments manufactured bed crossbows per Wujing Zongyao specifications; the common 'three-bow bed' mounted three bows together, drawn by combined windlass force, requiring several operators, with range and penetrating power far exceeding individual crossbows.
  2. 1075–1078Bianjing city walls · Kaifeng CityBed crossbows were fixedly deployed on city towers and horse-faced bastions for defensive shooting and deterring siege engines. In the defense systems of large cities like Bianjing, bed crossbows, falling logs, and trebuchets formed layered defensive firepower.
  3. 1078–1080Yongle City (near Tongning, Ningxia) · Ningxia Hui Autonomous RegionIn the Yuanfeng Song-Xia War, northwest forts and fortresses were generally equipped with bed crossbows to resist cavalry charges. Though difficult to move, bed crossbows played a key role in delaying attacks during fort defense.

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