Crossbow from Paladru

France, 11th Century

• Materials: Beech, ash, linen fiber
• Stock length: 50 cm
• Stock thickness: 2.5 cm
• Stock width: 2.5 cm
• Bow length: 90 cm
• Bow width: 3 cm
• Bolt length: 30–40 cm
• Weight: 500 g

This crossbow features a relatively simple design. It lacks a stirrup, which is commonly used in European medieval crossbows to assist in drawing high-tension strings.

The trigger mechanism is also straightforward, without a “nut” or lever, but it is reliable and easy to produce and repair.

The stock is missing (or never included) a bolt clip, which means the bolt likely had to be held in place with the thumb while the other hand operated the trigger.

In early medieval Western Europe, the first mention of the arcuballista dates back to the siege of Paris by the Normans in 885–886 AD. During this event, a dart from a Frankish ballista reportedly pierced seven Danish Vikings at once, prompting the Frankish abbot Eboulus to jokingly suggest they be taken to the kitchen like skewered game.

Handheld crossbows (arcoballista) were first referenced during the sieges of Senlis (near Paris) in 949 AD and Verdun in 984 AD, both mentioned in Historia Francorum by Richer of Reims. At the siege of Senlis, the forces of French King Louis IV and German Emperor Otto I reportedly suffered greatly from city crossbowmen. J.T. Dennis suggests these crossbows may have been borrowed from Byzantium.

The first detailed description of a Western European crossbow (referred to as a tzagra) appears in The Alexiad by Byzantine princess Anna Komnene (ca. 1083–1148). This account describes the presence of crusaders in Constantinople during the First Crusade in 1097. However, other visual and archaeological evidence suggests the use of crossbows as early as the 10th century, during the height of the Viking Age.

Paladru is a commune in France, located in the Rhône-Alpes region, within the Isère department. It is situated on the shores of the picturesque Lake Paladru, which, ironically, brought the village international fame. The lake preserved numerous artifacts, including the renowned crossbow from Lake Paladru—currently the only known fully intact Viking-era crossbow, dated to the early 11th century. This remarkable find highlights the technological and cultural exchanges of the era.