Skeleton 150, found in 1997 at Stirling Castle Chapel, bore 167 fractures from a high-velocity projectile — possibly the first recorded trebuchet death. Radiocarbon dates the victim to the 1300s during Scotland's First War of Independence, when Edward I's siege included the legendary Warwolf.
700-year-old Stirling Castle skeleton may be first recorded trebuchet death
United KingdomBioarchaeologyNew Research
Key facts
- Skeleton 150, discovered in 1997 in Stirling Castle Chapel alongside seven other trauma victims, bore 167 fractures: 61 in skull, 57 in ribs, plus spine, arms, and shoulder damage
- Micro-CT and 3D scanning revealed the fractures occurred at or near time of death, with a zigzag pattern typical of high-velocity impact
- Radiocarbon dating placed the skeleton in the 1300s, during the First War of Scottish Independence
- In 1304, Edward I besieged Stirling Castle with up to a dozen trebuchets, including the Warwolf, which reportedly sent a missile through two castle walls
- Fall from castle walls was ruled out because leg injuries did not match such a death
- The victim was standing with his back to the projectile and likely died instantly
Site mentioned
Sources
This 700-Year-Old Skeleton May Be the First Man in History Smashed by ...popularmechanics.com
Skeleton 150, buried under Scotland's Stirling Castle in the 1300s, been named the first person in recorded history to be killed by trebuchet ...
First confirmed trebuchet victim identified from 700-year-old Stirling ...archaeologymag.com
Skeleton 150, a young man whose remains carry more than 160 fractures. first excavated in 1997,
Daily briefing: The first archaeological evidence of death by trebuchetnature.com
More than 160 fractures are evidence of a fast, grisly cause of death. Plus, the health risks of the mummy trade and a controversial new ...
This Skeleton is the First Confirmed Death by Trebuchetnytimes.com
A C.T. reconstruction of the skull of a 14th-century warrior, known as Skeleton 150, whose remains were found at Stirling Castle in Scotland. ...
Skeleton with 167 fractures discovered at Scottish castle may ...livescience.com
Dozens of fractures in a medieval skeleton found buried near a castle suggest the person may have been killed by a direct trebuchet hit.
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