{
  "id": 1499773,
  "title": "Meet the only known trebuchet casualty in history",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/meet-the-only-known-trebuchet-casualty-in-history",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-17T13:41:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ars Technica",
    "slug": "ars-technica",
    "url": "https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/08/meet-the-only-known-trebuchet-casualty-in-history/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a medieval siege, a trebuchet inflicted a unique casualty on history. The unfortunate defender, known only as Skeleton 150, was struck by a boulder weighing nearly 300 kilometers per hour. This powerful force shattered his upper body, leaving his skull fragmented in 61 places and his ribs scattered with jagged bone pieces. His right shoulder and right leg above the knee bore the brunt of the impact, leaving him in a state of severe injury. This catastrophic event occurred beneath the chapel of Scotland’s Stirling Castle, alongside several other individuals who met violent ends. However, Skeleton 150’s condition set him apart from the other battle-wrecked skeletons. Paleopathologist Jo Buckberry from the University of Bradford revealed that Skeleton 150 is the sole trebuchet casualty ever documented.",
  "summary": "\"It highlights the brutality of medieval warfare,\" said paleopathologist Jo Buckberry.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}