Medieval Siege Weapons
One of the earliest examples of medieval siege weaponry appeared around the 300s AD when the ballista was created. The ballista wasn't the most accurate in the line of medieval siege weaponry, but it could launch a wave of spears further than human arms could muster. Created using two wooden arms, tightly wound ropes and a cord to assist in the hurling of deadly projectiles, this example of medieval siege weaponry used torsion force to launch objects.
Ref. https://www.internationaldiscussions.org/ar...stle-a3588.html
In Robin Hood with Russell Crowe the siege on a Frebnch castle by Lionheart was a good example of what had to happen in order to get into a castle because it wasn't as simple as just hitting the doors and getting in. Makes you wonder why they didn't just come up with a huge shield that protected everyone from damage above.