...castles were built very quickly and were very simple, but during the reign of William and throughout the rest of the Middle Ages (1066-1500) the design of castles changed. In this essay I will talk about how much castles changed during the Middle Ages and the reasons for this. Motte & Bailey Castles (1066 – 1078) The first castles to be built in England by the Normans were called Motte & Bailey castles. They had: • The Keep – a wooden tower used when under attack and for soldiers to keep lookout. • A Motte - a large mound of earth that the Keep was built on. • A Bailey – a large yard that sat next to the Motte, attached to the Motte by a wooden bridge. • A Palisade – a wooden fence all around the Bailey with a ditch around the outside. • Wooden gateway - the entrance to the castle with a wooden bridge over the ditch. Norman soldiers lived in wooden buildings in the Bailey. Motte & Bailey castles were made of earth and wood, which was easy to find, and they could be built really quickly, in 7-21 days. The height of the wooden tower on top of the Motte meant that the Norman soldiers could see what was going on around the castle and see enemies coming. The castles were built near big towns so that the Norman soldiers could move quickly and stop enemies up to 30 miles away. William built over 60 Motte & Bailey castles during the early years of his reign. There are still remains of a Motte & Bailey...
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...order to make it look bigger. Q: What is a drawbridge? A: A drawbridge was a defensive mechanism that allowed access to the castle by providing a temporary bridge across the moat. This bridge can be withdrawn in the case of an attacking force; this was done with a winch. Q: What were castles made of? A: Stone, mortar and wood. These were the simple components used to construct some of the most heavily fortified structures ever created. Q: Where did the stone used to make the castle come from? A: The stone came from local mines or quarries if possible. If stone was scarce they would carry it long distances by water or on land by oxen. Q: What was the roof made of? A: The roof was made from slate tiles and shale. Q: Where were castles built? A: Prime locations for castle construction include high, rocky ground, mountain passes, isolated peninsulas and lake islands. Q: How big were castle walls? A: To withstand besieging, castle walls were sometimes constructed to be up to 30 feet (9 metres) thick. Stone curtain walls were constructed anywhere between 20 and 40 feet high. Q: How high were the towers in the castles? A: Some fortresses had towers soaring a hundred feet high. Q: What was a portcullis? A: A portcullis was a heavy, protective, grilled gate. Q: What was a gatehouse? A: the gatehouse housed the drawbridge winch, the portcullis and even living quarters for the soldiers. It also had slits in it, used to shoot arrows out of, there were walkways...
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...bailey structure. A fortified stone castle replaced the wooden castle in 1260. The two main round towers were built at the front of the castle and the Chapel and large hall were built against the south wall. Various additions were made to Warwick Castle as time passed - Guys Tower and Caesar's Tower were added at the end of the fourteenth Century - these were built on the style of the French Donjon or Great Tower affording more security and luxury to Warwick Castle. The Warwick castle has a moat - this is a man made type of river that prevents enemies form just walking into the castle and attacking Another feature is a drawbridge - it is worked by workers in the castle and they pull the bridge up when enemies are invading. External View of the Castle Castle Layout Diagram Warwick Castle Timeline o 1066 – 1087 William Conqueror o 1087 – 1100 William Rufus o 1100 – 1135 Henry I o 1135 – 1154 Stephen o 1154 – 1189 Henry II o 1189 – 1199 Richard I o 1199 – 1216 John o 1216 – 1272 Henry III o 1272 – 1307 Edward I o 1307 – 1327 Edward II o 1327 – 1377 Edward III o 1399 – 1413 Henry IV o 1413 – 1422 Henry V o 1461 – 1483 Edward IV o 1483 - Edward V o 1483 – 1485 Richard III o 1485 – 1509 Henry VII o 1509 – 1547 Henry VIII o 1547 – 1553 Edward V o 1553 – 1558 Mary Caesar's Tower ▪ The tower shape is described as trilobed...
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...sometimes has a guard house in it. On the sides there are murder-holes and arrow loops. Sometimes the chapel was put right next to the gatehouse because if you attacked the chapel you were believed to be attacking god. The portcullis is a wooden gate with metal spikes at the bottom That was hung from the gatehouse ceiling. When under attack guards would rapidly drop the door, impaling the attackers with the metal spikes. There were often two portcullises in a castles entrance. Guards would try to trap the attackers in between them so that the guards could shoot arrows, drop burning wood, and drop hot oil on to the trapped attackers. The curtain walls are the stone outer walls surrounding the castle. The purpose of the walls was to protect the castle from invaders. They were usually connected by towers and...
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...Richard the III On Oct.2, 1452, Richard III was born in Northampton shire, England. Richard Plantagenet (Richard III’s father)and his wife Cecily Neville, had two sons,Edward VI and Richard III. Richard was the youngest brother . Richard III’s life started to take change years after the battle of The War of the Roses in order. Despite the possibility of murdering his nephews in the tower, he still was an effective ruler and warrior. “Richard Plantagenet was born on 2 October 1452 at Fotheringhay Castle in Northampton shire, the youngest son of Richard, Duke of York, and his wife, the former Cecily Neville. York, a cousin to the reigning King Henry VI, held senior government positions...
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...government in Edo that in Tokyo. In 1615, Ieyasu ruined the Toyotomi family and destroyed the Osaka Castle in the summer of the war Osaka. Thereafter, Tokugawa shogunate reconstructed the Osaka Castle. In 1868 it was held under direct control but when the shogunate lost power the castle fell. Later on in 1931 the main tower was reconstructed in the center of the Osaka Castle, which was used as a military base and with funds raised by the citizens. The present day the main tower is the third generation. It follows the main tower from the Toyotomi period that was destroyed by fire during the summer war, the Tokugawa period which was struck by lightning was burned down. Since its construction the Osaka Castle repeatedly featured as the battleground of the major wars in Japanese history. The Osaka Castle is very popular with both domestic and overseas tourist as historical site. This has handed down through the above mentioned historical drama to today. Construction of Hideyoshi’s golden tea room Hideyoshi Toyotomi was fascinated with gold. He ordered that gold will be applied to the furniture, weapons, armor, and the furthermore, to the exterior of the main tower of...
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...was still reigning. It was founded almost at the same time with the Sanahin, another nearby monastery. Haghpat Monastery is a medieval monastery which was built by the Byzantines as a monastic complex in Haghpat, Armenia. The village Haghpat, where the monastery takes its name from, lies on plateau in region of Gouark. This plateau is dissected by deep cracks which were formed by the Debed and Pampak Rivers. Unlike other plateaus in Armenia, it has plenty of water and an abundance of vegetation. The book of Documents of Armenian Architecture says “In this natural setting, it is to be framed the simple, substantial volumetric massivity of the buildings of Haghpat built (as a typical in Armenian architecture) with local stones, such as stuff or eruptive rocks, these contributing to give an absolute homogeneity to the landscape. This process of communion with nature, springing maybe from a remote ancestral feeling of respect and almost veneration for one’s land intended as a mother, in whose “womb” one seeks for protection causes sometimes the buildings to compenetrate the landscape” . Besides, Haghpat Monastery catches the sight of the Pampak River in Northern region of Armenia that has boundaries with Georgia. The Byzantines did not establish it on a peak, but a verdant highland was chosen to build, because halfway of hillside is easier to afford protection and hiding from prying people than pinnacle. This situation not only shows both a responsibility and humbleness...
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...THE TOWER OF BABEL The Tower of Babel ( oil painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563) Courtesy of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna Genesis 11:1 – 9, the Babylonians wanted to build a tower "with its top in the heavens." Angry at their presumption, God disrupted the enterprise by confusing the languages of the workers so that they could no longer understand each other. The tower was left unfinished and the people dispersed over the face of the earth. The myth may have been inspired by a tower temple located north of the Marduk temple and known as Bab-ilu ("Gate of God"). It was an edifice built after the Flood by the men of Shinar (Babylonia) in their attempt to reach heaven. All the people of the world at that time only spoke a single language. But with Babylonians’ intention to make a name and to avoid dispersal over the earth; they built and constructed a tower which would reach the heaven. However, as God was mad of their presumption, their audacity was punished by confounding their language to prevent them from communicating with one another and they were dispersed throughout the world (Gen 11:1-9). The name Babel (Babylon) derives from the Hebrew word "to confuse". It was Nimrod who led and successfully excited the Babylonians to cause such an offended act and contempt to God. Nimrod, a tyrant, was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded the Babylonians not to ascribe to God, as if...
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...Architecture Comprehensive Examination Reviewer HISTORY AND THEORY OF ARCHITECTURE 1. The ornamental blocks fixed vertically at regular intervals along the lower edge of a roof to cover end tiles. a. ancones c. acroteria b. Antifixae 2. A continuous base or structure in which a colonnade is placed. a. stereobate c. stylobate b. Torus 3. The market in Greek architecture. a. Megaron c. agora b. Pylon 4. The smallest among the famous pyramids at Gizeh. a. Pyramid of Cheops c. Pyramid of Chephren b. Pyramid of Mykerinos 5. The largest outer court, open to the sky, in Egyptian temple. a. Sanctuary c. Irypaetral b. Irypostyle 6. The inner secret chamber in the mastaba which contains the statue of the deceased family member. a. Pilaster c. serdab b. Sarcophagus 7. The grandest of all Egyptian temples. a. Palace of Sargon c. Great temple of Ammon, Karnak b. Great temple of Abu-Simbel 8. The principal interior decoration of early Christian churches. a. stained glass c. painting b. mosaic 9. In early Christian churches, it is the covered space between the atrium and the church which was assigned to penitents. a. baldachino c. narthex b. apse 10. A dome placed on the drum. a. simple c. compound b. superpositioned 11. The architect of a church of Santa Sophia Constantinople, the most important church in Constantinople. a. Ictinus and Callicrates b. Apollodorous of Damascus and Isidorous on Miletus c. Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorous of Miletus 12. The second largest medieval cathedral...
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...Taylor P Ancient Architecture Functions of Ancient Monuments Ancient monuments have been discovered to be a prominent feature of many different ancient civilizations throughout history. The most elaborate and well known ancient buildings are the pyramids and the ziggurats of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Mesoamerica. The construction of these massive monuments began sometime during the fourth millennium BC and to this day many can still be seen. Although believed by most to serve a particular religious function, historians are still trying to discover the exact purpose of these breathtaking feats of architecture. However, through the vast studies of archaeology, enough information has been acquired to make some valid theories. The first civilization to construct a massive architectural project was the Egyptians with their construction of the pyramids. It is believed that the Egyptian civilization began around 5500 BC and then began to flourish as a result of new innovations in agriculture and the abundance of natural resources around the Nile. Over time, Egyptians made great achievements in mathematics, writing, astronomy, medicine, engineering, and architecture. This played a huge part in the progression of Egypt into a powerful and influential civilization. In addition to these achievements, the significance of religion was another extremely important factor that allowed the Egyptian civilization to thrive. Egyptians practiced polytheism. In their religion, not only were...
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...In the late 1070s as the Tower was being built, it was obvious that it was going to be one of historical importance. The Tower of London began with William the Conqueror after he realized that he needed to secure the city. Bishop Gundulph of Rochester, a skilled churchbuilder, began the Tower in 1078 with white Caen stone. The keep at London was completed relatively close to 20 years later. Its walls were approximately 15 feet thick with dimensions of 118 feet from east to west, 107 feet from north to south, and 90 feet high to the battlements. (Porter). Within these huge dimensions were two stories held above a basement. In The Age of Chivalry by Merle Severy, she addresses, “The top story was considered the royal floor and had a gallery around...
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...Siege And Defense Of A Castle “Because castles were made with such massive defense fortifications it was extremely hard to destroy them. Thus, the goal of a siege army was not to destroy a castle, but to penetrate it.” (http://library.thinkquest.org/10949/fief/hisiege.html). The attacker had many options at their disposal when trying to penetrate the castle’s walls. The army could not attack the castle at all but simply seize the land around it and cut out all supply routes going to and from the establishment. Another was a direct assault or siege on the castle itself. And lastly, is besieging. Effectively starving them out. Starvation was a key weapon used in all methods, but solely used in besieging. The most effective direct assault was the use of tunneling. The very time consuming chore was first started by constructing wooden palisades, a type of fence, next to the wall, and then building a shed to lean against it. Defenders high on the castle walls would try to thwart the enemy in its attempt to mine under the wall by dumping hot oil or pitch and tar and then setting it a blaze with flaming arrows. This could be countered by covering the structure with thick leather hides in an attempt to keep the fires at bay and stop the diggers from taking a flaming hot oil bath. Next, special diggers called sappers were called in to start their work on the castle’s foundation. “Once the tunnel was long enough the attacker’s had two choices: Continue digging until they...
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...heading towards me, so I opened the gate in a hurry. As I did I heard a big long creek. I continued to walk down the muddy and wet path and I saw black crows circling the towers roof tops. I got to the old rotten door and knocked; there was no answer. So I pushed the ancient and rotten door and it swung open. I stepped in side. When I stepped in and a horrible stench came roaring down towards me, I called out “hello” and the only response was the echo of my voice. I started to walk towards the dining area, but on the way I heard a loud bang in a near by corridor. It sounded like something had fallen and smashed then I knew I was not alone. The corridor was completely dark so I collected some dry wood form a near by staircase that had collapsed for a torch, I used what I learnt on the farm to light it. I started to creep towards the corridor with my torch the in my hand, the entrance was made of stone and the half open door that was barely hang on to its hinges looked like it was staring right at me, but I pushed on. As I stepped into the corridor a shiver went down my spine, something was telling me that it wasn’t a good Idea. But something else was louring me in. the corridor was empty not a picture or light in site not even a spider I was like as if something repelled them away. The corridor’s walls were stone and the air was thick and cold. I had been walking for about 15 minuets but if felt longer. The torch started to burn my hand; I hadn’t got a lot of time left until I...
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...“Pioneers of Modern Architecture: Importance of their contribution in the development of 20th Century Architecture” Modernism roughly spans the time between World War I and the early 1970s. In regards to architecture, this particular movement or style is characterized by simplification of form and subtraction of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. Intrigued by the emerging technologies of the day, they mostly used concrete, glass, or steel in their revolutionary creations. They eschewed ornament, rejecting what they saw as the frivolous strokes of Victorian and art nouveau styles. At the same time new technological developments continued to influence architects' designs, such as the development of complex air conditioning and heating systems allowed modern architectures to spread from the temperate climates of Europe and North America to countries with extremely varied weather conditions such as India, as seen in the National Assembly Building in Dacca Bangladesh by Louis Kahn. Instead of viewing a building as a heavy mass made of ponderous materials, the leading pioneers of modern architecture considered it as a volume of space enclosed by light, thin curtain walls and resting on slender piers. The visual aesthetic of modern architecture was largely inspired by the machine and by abstract painting and sculpture. Since World War II, modern architecture has admitted a certain amount of free play in buildings of various designs. In all, the required ...
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...certainly considered a Biblical myth, that is, until its foundations were unearthed and its riches substantiated during the 19th century. Archaeologists stood in awe as their discoveries revealed that certain stories in the Bible were an actual situation that had happened in time. The Tower of Babel The Bible reveals that all false systems of religion began in the land of Babylon and will have their consummation from the spirit of Babylon in the last days. It is interesting to note that every organized system of religion in the world today has traces of ancient Babylon. The Bible records in Genesis 10:10, that, after the great flood, all men spoke one common language and a man named Nimrod built a city and established a common religion. Nimrod was a descendant of Noah’s son, Ham. Genesis 11:1-9 describes the building of the city and its famous tower"whose top may reach unto heaven." It also records how God came down and punished the people’s arrogance by creating a confusion of different languages and possibly their racial distinctions. This way man would be forced to obey God’s original command to "be fruitful and fill the whole earth." It is interesting that the materials used to build the Tower of Babel were the same as those employed for the construction of the great ziggurat of Babylon and similar ziggurats, according to ancient building inscriptions. Technology The Babylonians inherited the technical achievements of the Sumerians in irrigation and agriculture. Maintaining...
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