By Betsy Rhame, ’01

A trebuchet is a medieval war machine used for catapulting objects toward an enemy. To Brent Pitts, professor of foreign languages and the coordinator of medieval and renaissance studies, a trebuchet is also a history lesson, a physics project, an experiment and a use for ripened, oversized fruits and vegetables. He has been working since last year with a team to build one at Meredith, and the machine has already earned the nickname of “Big Bertha.”

More than 100 people gathered at Big Bertha’s launch on Sunday, March 25 on Meredith’s front lawn. Earlier in the week, Pitts had put the word out that the event was a “BYOM” or “bring your own melon” one. Those who did bring a projectile with them had the opportunity to launch it.

Items catapulted more than 50 feet across the lawn included five-pound flour sacks, squash, weighted balls, pumpkins, watermelons, cantaloupes, a bag of apples, a plastic jug of water, a block of wood and two-liter bottles of diet soft drinks.

Students in Pitts’ Pilgrims, Poets and Prophets course learn about the use of trebuchets during the fourth Crusade in the siege of Constantinople, and their use during Roman times.

“The Romans were among the first to use [a trebuchet] and among the first to perfect them,” Pitts said. “They were used extensively in the Middle Ages. They were used for hundreds of years.”

Pitts is hoping the Meredith community will see more of Big Bertha. The machine will be stored in the barn at the back of campus, and must be moved with a tractor if needed for events on campus.

“Once students see this or know it exists on campus they will invite people they know to campus to see it,” he said. “If we can just get the students there and learning it’s all worthwhile. It has great potential for being a great people pleaser.”

Pitts is hopeful the launch event was an educational experience for all.

“This is probably the best chance I’m going to have to recreate medieval and ancient technology and see it work and see why it works,” Pitts said. “We can see what it was for people who long ago used it.”

The event received coverage by NBC-17 and The News & Observer. To view The News & Observer article, visit www.newsobserver.com/102/story/557523.html.

Click here to watch a test-fire of the trebuchet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H_yPbuwKVg

Click here to watch the trebuchet's official launch:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0xPr_4ER5_U