Editing Caltrop (section)

{{short description|Anti-cavalry device}}
{{for|the plant or its fruit|water caltrop|Tribulus terrestris}}
{{use dmy dates|cs1-dates=ly|date=June 2023}}
[[File:Roman caltrop.jpg|thumb|Roman caltrop at the Westphalian Museum of Archeology (German: Westfälisches Museum für Archäologie), [[Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia]], Germany]]
[[File:Löffelholz-Codex Ms-Berol-Germ-Qu-132 Fol 030v.png|thumb|Different types of caltrops and metal soles that can be buckled underneath as a countermeasure from Codex Löffelholz, Nuremberg, 1505]]

A '''caltrop''' (also known as '''caltrap''', '''galtrop''', '''cheval trap''', '''galthrap''',<ref>{{cite book|title=A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2FE4AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA672 |last= Burke| first= John| publisher = Henry Colburn | year = 1846 | page = 672 }}</ref> '''galtrap''', '''calthrop''', '''jackrock''' or '''crow's foot'''<ref>{{cite book|title=An Elementary Course of Military Engineering – Part I: Field Fortification, Military Mining and Siege Operations | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7P1BAAAAYAAJ |last= Mahan| first= D.H.| publisher = John Wiley & Son | year = 1867 | page = 76 }}</ref><ref name = "Alesia-2006" >''[[Battle of Alesia]]'' ([[Julius Caesar|Caesar]]'s conquest of [[Gaul]] in 52 BC), Battlefield Detectives program, (2006), rebroadcast: 2008-09-08 on History Channel International (13:00-14:00 hrs EDST); Note: No mention of name caltrop at all, but illustrated and given as battle key to defend Roman lines of circumvallation per recent digs evidence.</ref>) is an [[area denial weapon]] made up of usually four, but possibly more, sharp nails or spines arranged in such a manner that one of them always points upward from a stable base (for example, a [[tetrahedron]]). Historically, caltrops were part of defences that served to slow the advance of troops, especially [[Cavalry|horse]]s, [[chariot]]s, and [[war elephant]]s, and were particularly effective against the soft feet of [[Camel cavalry|camel]]s.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Seven Great Monarchies Of The Ancient Eastern World, Vol 6. (of 7): Parthia| url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16166/16166-h/16166-h.htm#2HCH0023|last= Rawlinson| first= George}}</ref> In modern times, caltrops are effective when used against wheeled vehicles with pneumatic [[tire]]s.<ref name=HistoryNet>{{cite web |title=The Caltrop: A weapon that's barely changed over 2,300 years |author=Robert W. Reid |date=2006-09-01 |website=HistoryNet |url=https://www.historynet.com/weaponry-the-caltrop/#What%20Is%20A%20Caltrop? |access-date=2023-06-24 |quote=Today, it has reclaimed its old Greek name and reappeared as the tetrahedron, the bane of all vehicles running on pneumatic tires, and is used by both the military and police.}}</ref>