Ram (weapon)
The word ram describes one of the oldest medieval war machines for breaking through enemy city walls . A wooden ram about 20 m long with a ram's head made of iron was originally carried on the shoulders of the warriors and rammed into the wall . Later the siege rams were mounted on frames or pulleys and moved with ropes in the direction of impact. Frequent repetition of the pushing process made it possible to cut a breach in the wall of the besieged city.
See also: battering ram