The medieval period is an interesting one. Our technology and culture seemed to almost regress from the technological and social advancements made by the Greeks and Romans that came before. It is an example of how truly devastating the collapse of an Empire and a dark age can be. Ladders were used regularly in this period, much like through the rest of history, but they weren’t just used for construction and decoration. Ladders were turned into tools of war during this period, and ones that could aid armies in causing huge amounts of damage to castles and fortresses. The ladders became a formidable foe!

Why Ladders?

The best thing about ladders in this period is that they were made from wood. This made it very easy to find the materials needed to build them and assemble them. This simple and quick process also made them highly affordable, especially since they could be constructed on camping grounds using the trees that were found around them. It was especially good if they got damaged or destroyed during a siege because they could just construct a new one after the battle to use again the next day.

Offence and Defence

It’s interesting because ladders could be used both for offensive and defensive strategies, and sometimes they included both of these aspects. They are a surprisingly diverse tool and were able to grant soldiers access to a fortress or castle or defend them from enemy fire as they made their way forward.

During a siege it was often the way that archers would begin the conflict by firing at those atop the enemy walls. When enough of them had been shot down and there were little to no enemy arrows being fired into the field, soldiers would approach with long ladders that were made for scaling the walls.

They would lean the ladders up against the walls of the castle or fortress and climb up in order to infiltrate and attack. Scalers had to be fast, and they often were, allowing them to reach the top of the ladder at amazing speeds while fully armoured. Of course, they were also met with retaliation as burning oil could be poured over the walls and arrows shot at those climbing the ladders. Long pointed sticks were also used to knock them off the walls. It was not the most protected offensive strategy.

Siege towers were large, bulky, tall, and expensive to construct. They required a lot of work and resources to create, making them a costly addition to any army. However, they were designed to protect soldiers as they advanced in the field and proved incredibly useful. They were rectangular in shape and usually the same height as the wall and constructed in four wheels.

They were able to hold large numbers of soldiers on each level and had ladders inside that allowed them to reach each level of the siege tower. Once at the wall, the siege tower would open and a wooden bridge was formed between the tower and the castle wall, allowing soldiers to make their way across and onto the walls to attack. The towers were able to keep them safe from enemy fire and move large numbers of men across the field of battle.

So it could be said that the humble ladder, in allowing wars to be won and lost, changed the course of history!