History Of Weapons – Deadly Inventions

The full documentary on the history of weapons highlights three specific weapons that have had a significant impact on battles and warfare throughout history.

The introduction of the documentary acknowledges that weapons have been around as long as humankind and have had the power to determine the destiny of generations.

While weapons bring suffering and death, they are also intended to keep the peace and pave the way for technological advancements.

The three weapons featured in the documentary are the Henry rifle, the long sword, and the Scorpio. The Henry rifle was a game changer in the American Civil War, allowing soldiers to “make it rain bullets” on the battlefield.

The long sword, a medieval superweapon, was critical in real-life battles, where its use could mean the difference between life and death. Finally, the Scorpio was a Roman ranged weapon that had an enormous impact and could even penetrate a millimeter of steel.

The documentary then goes on to focus specifically on the Scorpio, which was used by the Romans in battles against Germanic warriors.

The excavation of the Hearts Horns in Germany revealed a large number of bolt heads, many of them bent, suggesting that the Romans used the Scorpio to actively stop a Teutonic attack. The Romans called the bolt catapult Scorpio, likely due to its similarity in form to the dangerous arachnid.

Military historian Stephen Bull conducts an experiment with a Scorpio built according to historical examples to understand how the weapon worked and how precisely it could hit a target.

The Scorpio was a mobile artillery weapon that combined firing power and precision, with relatively light construction due to its thin wooden pieces. It worked on the principle of torsion, with levers embedded in skeins of tightly twisted rope, and was disassembled into separate parts for transport.

The torsion bundles were made of horse or human hair or animal sinew braided into bundles, and when twisted, stored energy that was transmitted directly to the projectile upon firing.

Overall, the documentary provides a fascinating look at the history of weapons and their impact on warfare. It highlights how innovations in weaponry have changed the course of global history and shed light on the engineering skills and advancements of different eras.