Troglodyte caves

The dordogne troglodyte caves are a magnificent sight, with a lookout tower at the front in control of the drawbridge, where the defenders would throw rocks wood and other projectiles.

When you entered the actual place, there was a wooden frame of a house which was about one meter in width and five meters in length.

Then we entered a cave with twelve rings which used to be used for a cow shed. The cave was a semicircle cut into the rock.

But I think the most interesting part was the defenses and cranes. First the cranes, the first crane worked in the exact same principle as a lift, lifting one barrel up as the weight and one barrel down as the counterweight.

The second crane was a human hamster wheel running in a certain way to pull things either up or down.

The defenses were made up of a huge crossbow, five cannons and one trebuchet. To operate a cannon you simply put the cannonball in, plug your ears and light the fuse. When operating a trebuchet you load it, get four people to pull on the on the back and you will have some rocks flying.

I wonder how you could penetrate the defenses, oh maybe ring the doorbell.

Location:Dordogne