Understanding Ancient Fortifications

Author : Silke Muth
Publisher : Oxbow Books
ISBN 13 : 1785701401
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.05/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ancient Fortifications written by Silke Muth and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2016-04-30 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dedicated to the investigation of fortifications as important and integral elements of ancient built space, the present volume results from the activity of the German based international research network Fokus Fortifikation. Ancient Fortifications in the Eastern Mediterranean and is intended as a guide to research on ancient fortifications and a source of inspiration for new research. Ancient city walls and other fortification structures have long been underestimated. Since the early years of the 21st century, research on ancient fortifications has experienced an international boom, particularly amongst young researchers. They approached the study of fortifications with fresh ideas and new aims, and felt the need to discuss the problems and potentials of these monuments and to develop harmonized research methods and objectives. The outcome is the present bilingual (English and German) book, which offers a condensed view of the network’s extended conversations. The goal is not so much to offer an overview on the development of ancient fortifications, but rather to present versatile and diverse approaches to their research and interpretation and to serve as a kickoff for a new understanding of this category of ancient buildings. The book is divided into two parts: the first part includes 12 chapters on methods of interpretation, documentation, and field project organization; the systematic description and presentation of fortifications; the ‘building experience’; masonry forms and techniques; defensive, symbolic, and urbanistic functions and aspects; on fortifications in written sources, the visual arts, and as a historical source; and on regional and rural fortifications, and regionally confined phenomena. Part two is a catalogue that offers exemplary presentations of fortifications studied by network members; it is arranged in four sections: regions, sites, architectural elements and architectural details. The book is Volume 1 in the new series Fokus Fortifikation Studies. Volume 2 in the series, Focus on Fortification: New Research on Fortifications in the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East (Oxbow Books), the proceedings of an international conference held in Athens in December 2012, will also appear in 2015.

Author : Ariane Ballmer
Publisher : Oxbow Books Limited
ISBN 13 : 9781785707483
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.85/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Understanding Ancient Fortifications written by Ariane Ballmer and published by Oxbow Books Limited. This book was released on 2017-12-14 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Important new collection of papers looking at the development of fortified sites in Europe from the Neolithic through to the Late Iron Age, examining evidence for common trends, cultural and ideological backgrounds, structural and functional attributes across the continent and through time and regional differences and developments

Author : Silke Müth
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781785701412
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1X/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ancient Fortifications written by Silke Müth and published by . This book was released on 2015-12-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Author : Rune Frederiksen
Publisher : Oxbow Books
ISBN 13 : 1785701320
Total Pages : 624 pages
Book Rating : 4.20/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Focus on Fortifications written by Rune Frederiksen and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2016-05-31 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a collection of 57 articles in English, French and German, presenting the most recent research on ancient fortifications, this book is the most substantial publication ever to have issued on the topic for many years. While fortifications of the ancient cultures of the middle east and ancient Greek and Roman worlds were noticed by travelers and scholars from the very beginning of research on antiquity from the late 18th century onwards, the architectural, economic, logistical, political, urban and other social aspects of fortifications have been somewhat overlooked and underestimated by scholarship in the 20th century. The book presents the research of a new generation of scholars who have been analyzing those aspects of fortifications, many of them with years of experience in fieldwork on city walls. Much new evidence and a fresh look at this important category of built structure is now made available, and the publication will be of interest not only to the field of ancient architecture, but also to other sub-disciplines of archaeology and ancient history. The papers were presented at a conference in Athens in December 2012, and they all present material and discuss topics under seven headings that represent the most central themes in the study of fortification in antiquity: the origins of fortification, physical surroundings and building technique, function and semantics, historical context, the fortification of regions and regionally confined phenomena, the fortifications of Athens and new field research. The book is Volume 2 in the new series Fokus Fortifikation Studies, created by the German based international research network Fokus Fortifikation. The topics included have been identified by the network over many previous conferences and workshops as being the most important and as needing research and discussion beyond the network members. Volume 1 in the series, Ancient Fortifications: a compendium of theory and practice (Oxbow Books) will also appear in 2015 and together the two volumes bring the field of fortification studies up-to-date and will be an essential resource for many years to come.

Author : Ivo Van der Graaff
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0429868405
Total Pages : 298 pages
Book Rating : 4.05/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy written by Ivo Van der Graaff and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-09-12 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fortifications of Pompeii stand as the ancient city’s largest, oldest, and best preserved public monument. Over its 700-year history, Pompeii invested significant amounts of money, resources, and labor into re-building, maintaining, and upgrading the walls. Each intervention on the fortifications marked a pivotal event of social and political change, signalling dramatic shifts in Pompeii’s urban, social, and architectural framework. Viewing the role of the defences as purely military in nature is over-simplified. Their fate was intertwined with that of Pompeii; their construction materials, methods and aesthetics reflect the political, social, and urban development of the city. This study redefines Pompeii’s fortifications, as a central monument that physically and symbolically shaped the city. It considers the internal and external forces that morphed its appearance, and traces how the fortifications served to foster a sense of community. The defences emerge as a dynamic, ideologically freighted monument, subject to manipulation and appropriation that was critical to the image and identity of Pompeii. The book is a unique narrative of the social and urban development of the city from foundation to the eruption of Vesuvius, through the lens of the monument most critical to its independence and survival.

Author : Nic Fields
Publisher : Osprey Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781841768847
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.47/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Ancient Greek Fortifications 500–300 BC written by Nic Fields and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2006-01-31 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of the city-state in the Classical period of Greek history ensured a shift in the nature of fortifications in the region. No longer were fortresses designed to defend a ruler and his entourage, rather the whole of the citizen body had to be protected against any outside threats. The enceintes of these Greek city-states did not have to be very high or strong as city-state conflict was still decided by spear and shield, though some thought was still given to the science of fortification. This book details the construction and ongoing development of the defences that protected some of the most illustrious sites in Greece during the most famous period of her history.

Author : Carola Vogel
Publisher : Osprey Publishing
ISBN 13 : 9781846039560
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.68/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Fortifications of Ancient Egypt 3000–1780 BC written by Carola Vogel and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2010-09-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Old and Middle Kingdoms, Ancient Egypt led the world in the construction of fortifications. The oldest was discovered on Elephantine Island and dates to c.2900 BC. This book investigates over 2,000 years of Egyptian fortification, including both fortified cities and military installations. It covers the most famous sites, including the fortified town of Ayn Asil and the fortress of Buhen. The text also examines the specific defensive structures within the fortifications, including gates, walls, and towers, and looks at both the operation and social history of these ancient military strongholds. Maps, photographs, and artwork by Brian Delf recreate this long-lost but legendary era, a treat for the eye as well as the mind.

Author : Samuel Rocca
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782005218
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.16/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Fortifications of Ancient Israel and Judah 1200–586 BC written by Samuel Rocca and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-10-20 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a detailed study of the fortifications of the founders of ancient Israel from the time of their first settlement in the Middle East, through the periods of the united and divided kingdoms, until the sack of Jerusalem in 586 BC. It begins in the period of Israelite settlement in the First Iron Age period (1200–1000 BC). The extensive fortifications created by the famous kings Saul, David and Solomon are covered, including Gibeah, Jerusalem, Megiddo, Hazor and Gezer, which are described in the Bible. The period of the Divided Monarchy saw the creation of two separate political entities: the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The enemies the two kingdoms faced in this period included Moab, Edom, and the Arameans as well as the mighty empires of Assyria, Babylonia and Egypt. This book is a must-have for fans of warfare in the ancient Middle East.

Author : Sidney Toy
Publisher : Pen and Sword
ISBN 13 : 1844153584
Total Pages : 201 pages
Book Rating : 4.89/5 ( download)

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Download or read book History of Fortification from 3000 BC to AD 1700 written by Sidney Toy and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2006-09-19 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The necessity to defend territory from strong points has been a fact of life since mankind first settled into agricultural communities. Sidney Toy traces the development of the art of fortification from the period of earliest historical examples down to the forts designed for defense by artillery, noting the salient features of the military works as well as the siege operations mounted against them. The castle is considered in its military aspect, as a fortress, and its domestic arrangements only in so far as they are ancillary to its function as a fortification and are necessary in its residence. This book is a product of a lifetime of travel, exploration and architectural study. The author himself surveyed most of the places described, and has drawn clear and fascinating ground maps and cross sections. There are also 200 superb photographs, maps and plans.

Author : Jeremy Black
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1538109697
Total Pages : 327 pages
Book Rating : 4.94/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Fortifications and Siegecraft written by Jeremy Black and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-05-25 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As centers for defense and bases for attack since ancient times, fortifications are a crucial aspect of military history. Indeed, as Jeremy Black shows, the history of fortifications is a global history of humanity itself. Moreover, their remains offer a still potent, often dramatic testimony to the past, notably through the strength of the sites, the power of the works, and the vast resources they required. This compelling book explores not only the history of fortifications themselves, but also the real and potential threat to them posed by siegecraft. Tracing the interaction of attack and defense over time, Black situates the evolution of fortifications within the wider development of governments, societies, and cultures. Moreover, his examination of the future of these installations, as well as of potential methods of destroying them, only reaffirms their omnipresence in human history—and their continued importance. Fortifications are not simply relics of the past, but rather elements fundamental to military and social interaction across the world today.