KENILWORTH, ENGLAND—Live Science reports that eight stone catapult shots were found outside the walls of Kenilworth Castle, which is located in England’s West Midlands. The largest sphere weighs 231 pounds, while the smallest weighs about two pounds. The ammunition has been dated to the thirteenth century, and is thought to have been fired during a siege in 1266, when rebellious nobles led by the brother-in-law of the king held the castle for 172 days. King Henry III’s forces stormed the castle to take it back, firing catapult shots and some 60,000 crossbow bolts at the 14-foot walls. The rebels in the castle also fired catapult shots, so it is not clear who fired the newly unearthed weapons. “Records show that one of Henry III’s wooden siege towers, containing around 200 crossbowmen, was destroyed by just one well-aimed missile,” William Wyeth of English Heritage said of the battle. Starvation and disease eventually led to the surrender of the castle to the king on December 13, 1266. For more on English archaeology related to Henry III, go to "Built on Bones."
