Skeleton with 167 fractures discovered at Scottish castle may have been first victim of Edward I's 'War Wolf' trebuchet
Dozens of fractures in a medieval skeleton found buried near a castle suggest the person may have been killed by a direct trebuchet hit.
In 1997, researchers discovered the remains of a medieval skeleton, dubbed Skeleton 150, at Stirling Castle in Scotland. The skeleton, found in the chapel alongside seven others, exhibited an extraordinary number of fractures - 61 in the skull, 57 in the ribs, and breaks in the vertebrae, arms, and right shoulder. The unusual pattern and distribution of fractures suggested the individual may have been the first victim of King Edward I's trebuchet, known as the "War Wolf".
The trebuchet, built to withstand the siege of Stirling Castle in 1304, could potentially have caused the young man's death by inflicting such severe injuries. The carbon dating of Skeleton 150 indicated he died around 1300, during the First War of Scottish Independence. The forensic analysis of the fractures also revealed the man was likely standing when he was struck by the high-velocity projectile, leading to an instantaneous death.
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