Mauro Fiorentini
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Forge your future with the hammer of your mind!
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Ancona, Italy.
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Hallo Julia, I'll tell you how was the situation here in Central Italy: crossbows were mainly used during sieges, followed by bows, beginning from ca. 1050. Crossbows rapidly increased their proficience, and became the most used weapons of their time, from about 1200 onwards. Bows were still used during sieges, but were prefered for field battles. Staff slings were rarely used, because they were soon supplanted by siege machines such as catapults, ballistas and trebuchets. That's why there're few findings about staff slings, and some of them are round balls of sandstone, used as ammunition, with a diameter of about 10 - 15 centimeters and a weight of a kilo or two. That's the situation in Central Italy during a slightly more recent period than the one you're studying; it's somehow uncertain, because we've got few chronicles, and dating findings is sometime difficult.
For example, my town was besieged and conquered in 800 b.C, by North African pirates, but we don't know much about this event. It was then besieged again in 1174 by Emperor Frederick Redbeard and Venice fleet, and we've got 3 or 4 books about this siege, written by both the contenders, which even tell us the name of Venice's main ship. It was also conquered by the Church in 1340, a castle was built to submit the town, but a successful rebellion caused the destruction of the castle, and we've got so many information about that to know that 2 siege machines were used - we even know the name they gave to them!
Should you need any more help, feel free to pm me. Greetings, Mauro.
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