A battering ram is undoubtedly one of the oldest, the simpliest but At the same time the most effective siege engines. It was used to splitter gates or crack a wall in its weakest point in order to open the way into the besieged fortress for the attackers. The battering ram was rolled to the chosen place and destroying of the obstacle started. The defenders tried to prevent it by intercepting the ram’s log and therefore making further attacks impossible. The battering rams were often covered in wet hides which were supposed to protect the ram from being set of fire by defenders. The most important part of the construction was a log slung in horizontal position, reinforced at the end with a metal cap and shielded with a roof safeguarding against projectiles. The simple construction enabled building the battering ram directly on the site of the siege, and its size and weight could be adjusted to the facial requirements of the specific battle.

Chronology: from the antiquity to 16th century