21H.
Medieval Economics
Anne McCants
Problem Set #
Medieval Military Technology
Problem 1: Crossbows versus Long bows
a. What was the range and force of a crossbow? A long bow?
b. What were the advantages and disadvantages of either technology? Make sure
to include differences of cost, training, and materials.
c. If you have 50 long bow men and 50 crossbow men on a level field, where do
you need to place the different forces on the field and why for
i. The long bow men to win?
ii. The crossbow men to win?
d. How thick would a knight’s breastplate have to be to not be pierced by a long
bow at 100 meters? How does that compare to the thickness it would need to
be against a crossbow?
e. What social and economic reasons led the long bow to be used primarily by
the English and the crossbow by the French during the Hundred Years War?
Problem 2: Trebuchet versus Catapult
a.
b.
c. Other War Engines
Problem 3: Knight
a. Name five major pieces of equipment a knight needed in the Middle Ages.
b. Write a short account about how each of these things helped a knight both
in battle and social status.
c. Choose one of these and say why you think that one is the most important
for the knight and how it affects all the others.
d. What technological innovations were created to counter each of the five
pieces of equipment?
Problem 4: Armor
a. Make a time line of the change from mail to plate armor
b. Name 5 of the major parts of a full set of armor. Mow much did a full set
of armor cost? What were the alternatives to metal armor?
c. What were the differences between chain and plate armor? Did this effect
where or when either was used?
d. What advances in metallurgy and developments in other technologies (i.e.
archery) changed armor and how?
Problem 5: Swords
a.
Problem 6: Early Explosives
a. Greek fire
b. Cannons
c. How affected other technologies (swords with guns on them)
Problem 7: Castles
a. Economics –how and who raised the money who built and who owned
b. Types (maybe time line again)
c. How the types helped in different sieges (ie. moats or different materials of
walls). How would you attack each best?
Problem 8: Full Battle tactics
a. if you had so much money/materials/troops going against an army/castle. How
would you spend/distribute/organize to win?