Traction Trebuchet

This is a modern replica of the traction trebuchet, first developed by the Chinese in the 5th century BCE. The trebuchet is a variation of the catapult, a device that uses the mechanical advantage of the lever to hurl a heavy projectile hundreds of feet. The Mongols adopted this technology from the Chinese, and such weapons played a significant role in Mongol attacks on Korean in the 13th century.

To fire this weapon, warriors would grab the rope attached to the catapult arm and pull the line backward, propelling the lever frontward to heave a projectile at the enemy. The attachment of the projectile to a flexible sling at the end of the lever arm increased the throwing force.

Later Mongol trebuchets were based on the counter weight trebuchet, also known as the "Muslim trebuchet," which used the force of gravity on a heavy weight rather than the power of human haulers to howl the projectile. The Mongol introduced the counterweight trebuchet to China during the reign of Kublai Khan.