Though technically invented by the Greeks in 4th century BCE Greece, according to the World History Encyclopedia, the Romans continuously worked to improve upon the torsion weapons, which proved especially useful in firing heavy stones over hundreds of meters during siege warfare.
They are just as effective at flinging pumpkins across an empty field in front of hundreds of attendees eager to see them splat. That was on display during the Wright-Patt Pumpkin Chuck put on by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Engineering Directorate as a way to teach the young and old math skills.
Saturday’s pumpkin chuck, held on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was broken into three classes of pumpkin-hurling machines: Class A, which are the largest and most complicated, can launch 8- to 10-pound pumpkins several thousand feet, while Class B machines hurl smaller 2-pound orange squashes. Class C is comprised of human-powered machines that allow novice teams to sign up on-site to participate in a set of tosses.
There was also a STEM-focused area where visitors learned about the physics of the machines, calculate expected ranges and speeds.
During a lull in chucking, attendees were allowed to venture into the field to see the machines up close and learn more about how they operate.
A large group of people had gathered around one particular catapult, nicknamed “The Phoenix,” where a team member was sharing details about the machine’s design, which derives its throwing power from a bundle of twisted ropes.
According to Team ETHOS, which manned The Phoenix on Saturday, this type of torsion-based machine is known as an Onager and was indeed used by both the Greeks and the Romans.
“The Greeks would call this an onager, which is a wild donkey in the Mediterranean region that was known to buck and kick rocks when it was being chased by predators,” said David Mollenhauer of Team ETHOS. “This catapult will fly off the ground if you don’t have it staked down.”
Saturday’s STEM-focused event drew families with kids of all ages.
While I can’t say whether my own newfound interest in Roman history will be long-lived, I can say it did lend a new perspective to a fun fall activity.
Aimee Hancock is a Dayton Daily News reporter who loves pumpkin spice lattes.
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