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Talk6 min

How to attack (and defend) a medieval castle

Connor C. Wilson · TED

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About

Medieval European castles weren’t just for passive defense and withstanding enemy onslaughts; they were symbols of power, private residences, and hubs of governance. Castles regularly served as bases for launching attacks and as a way to control local populations. So, how were these formidable fortresses built? Connor C. Wilson explores how the design of these structures evolved over time. [Directed by Layron DeJarnette, narrated by Jack Cutmore-Scott, music by Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio].

The talk

  1. How to attack (and defend) a medieval castle 6 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED-Ed
Speaker
Connor C. Wilson
Year
2026
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Engineering, History, Art, architecture and design, Teaching and learning
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed