Fortification System Research Articles

Airborne lidar at Guiengola, Oaxaca: Mapping a Late Postclassic Zapotec city

Abstract The site of Guiengola is an example of one of the settlements built by the Zapotecs during their fourteenth- to fifteenth-century migration to the Southern Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Although Guiengola is well known in the ethnohistorical record as being the place where the Mexica armies were defeated by Zapotec forces during the late fifteenth century, the full extension of the site was previously unknown. Despite evidence of a dense population at the site, it has been mistakenly characterized as a fortress for housing soldiers and troops from the nearby town of Tehuantepec. Here, I present the research of the Guiengola Archeological Project, which conducted a lidar scan and archaeological surveys between 2018 and 2023. In this article, I share a comprehensive map of Guiengola, a Postclassic Mesoamerican city. My analysis identifies a large settlement that covered 360 ha and included a walled system of fortifications, an internal road network, and a hierarchically organized city. The findings of this project expand our understanding of the variations and social divisions in the city's internal urban organization, which in turn, allow us to deepen our comprehension of the transition to the Early Colonial barrio organization of Tehuantepec.

Fortified settlements of the XII–XIV centuries in the European Northeast. Pozheg hillfort (reconstruction experience)

The article presents a brief review of the results of studies of the fortification lines of the Pozheg hillfort – the only well-fortified settlement studied in the European Northeast (Komi Republic), which functioned during the XII–XIV centuries. This small hillfort (about 1550 m 2) was founded in the valley of the Vym River as an Old Rus outpost on the way to the Trans-Urals. It reached its greatest prosperity in the first half of the XIII century. The remains of buildings of three construction stages (XII, XIII and XIV centuries) have been studied by excavations at the site, the system of wood and earth fortifications (ditches, log walls, bulwarks) typical for small fortresses of medieval Russia has been discovered. An attempt is made to reconstruct the general appearance of the defensive structures of the Pozheg ancient settlement and a preliminary assessment of the main labor inputs in their construction is carried out. The types of fortress buildings are distinguished, the schemes of defensive lines, the size of the ancient settlement and their changes by stages of construction are considered.

ВЛАСТИВОСТІ АРХІТЕКТУРНО-МІСТОБУДІВНОГО ТВОРЕННЯ СЕРЕДМІСТЬ У ОДНОЙМЕННИХ МІСТАХ ДЕРАЖНЕ І ДЕРАЖНЯ

The properties of the downtown architectural and town-planning creation in the historical cities of Derazhne and Derazhnya are considered. It has been found that in Derazhne the castle was located in the southern part of today's village, on a wedge ledge formed at the place where the stream flows into the Horyn River. The downtown stood northeast of the castle. Its territory had features of a regular rectangle, and the gates were located on the western and northern sides. Unfortunately, today it is difficult to determine the location of the wooden Roman Catholic church in the downtown, instead, the brick church of the beginning of the 19th century was built on the territory of the castle. It was established that the castle in Deraznya was rectangular in plan with two corner roundels located in the southern and northern corners of the western side. The indistinct fragments of the downtown ramparts preserved to this day, the configuration of the streets and the graphic image of the urban defense complex of Deraznya on the map of the mid-17th century by the military engineer Guiyaume Levasseur de Beauplan indicate that the northern and eastern parts of the fortifications of the city center had bastion-like protrusions, and the northeastern corner had a special fortification purpose . Rynok Square was located in the center of the downtown. A wooden church stood in its northeastern corner, and a brick Roman Catholic church in the southeastern corner. Relying on the determined properties of architectural and town-planning creation in the downtown of Derazhnye and Derazhnya settlements, we can record their equivalent historical and cultural value. The development vector of their cities was identical, but the architectural image was individual. The spatial composition of the connection between the castle and the city center, the abundance of temples and the fortification system differed. Instead, the street network in Derazne and Derazne was ordered, calculated and synchronized with two entrance gates. The current state of the downtown is unsatisfactory. In Derazhnya, Khmelnytskyi region, the street network, quarters with several houses of the 19th century, and castle ramparts have been partially preserved. The downtown of Derazne, Rivne Oblast, has preserved parts of historic streets, completely lost quarters, and faint traces of the castle. In both settlements, uncontrolled green spaces hinder the spatial perception of the historical center. Therefore, recommendations have been formulated for the return of service functions to the downtowns, their unification with the rest of the settlement territories, saturating them with new functions, and the reproduction of the traditional historical and urban landscape.

Skulpture Marije Pobjednice u gradovima tvrđavama na jugoistočnoj granici Habsburške Monarhije

The paper analyses statues of Mary the Victorious (Maria victrix, Santa Maria de Victoria, Marija Zmagovalka, Maria vom Siege, Gyözedelmes Immaculata) in the fortified cities at the south-eastern frontier of the Habsburg Monarchy, highlighting some previously unidentified examples of this iconographic type in Petrovaradin and Alba Iulia. These cities were part of a comprehensive fortification system conceived by Eugene of Savoy following Habsburg victories over the Ottomans under his leadership. The paper examines comparative graphic, painterly, and sculptural works that may have influenced the authors of these sculptures. Notably, two altarpieces by Carlo Maratta (1625–1713), executed in the 1660s for the Franciscan church of S. Isidoro Agricola in Rome and the church of S. Agostino in Siena, emerge as highly influential in this context, with numerous artworks modelled upon them. The iconographic type of Mary the Victorious depicts the joint triumph of the Virgin Mary and her Child over Evil, with Christ piercing the personification of evil at their feet with a cross-shaped spear. This paper associates this specific iconographic choice with the origin of these artworks near the Habsburg-Ottoman frontier, interpreting it as an expression of Catholic and Habsburg triumphal rhetoric and propaganda. Some examples suggest probable Jesuit influence, as they were among the primary promoters of this iconographic type. In Osijek, a city of exceptional strategic importance on the south-eastern Habsburg-Ottoman frontier, the iconographic type of Mary the Victorious is represented by two examples. The earlier, more elaborate one, tentatively dated to the 1730s, originally adorned the city gate of Osijek’s fortress Tvrđa. In 1784, together with three other statues, it was placed on the outer perimeter of the Holy Trinity monument in the centre of Tvrđa. The second Osijek example is located in the Lower Town and dated by an inscription to 1757, when it was erected as a votive statue against the plague. Two public statues of Mary the Victorious are located in Petrovaradin, the second most important fortress on the south-eastern frontier of the Habsburg Monarchy. Unlike those from Osijek, the Petrovaradin statues are not free-standing, but inserted into the façade niches of public buildings in the suburbs of the Petrovaradin fortress. The polychromous wooden statue on the building of the Šajkaš Battalion stands out for its quality, with stylistic features pointing to the early decades of the 18th century. The second statue is located in the niche of the nearby Bridge Toll Office building. It is argued that the Jesuits or the Franciscans may have selected this iconographic type, as they were the key promoters of Mary the Victorious. The statues were probably commissioned to commemorate Mary’s role in the Christian victory over the Ottomans near Petrovaradin in 1716, as their locations suggest. Mary’s role as the saintly protector against the plague, which struck the area in 1738, should also be considered. In Alba Iulia, which was the easternmost point of Eugene’s chain of fortified cities, Mary the Victorious is the central statue on the side altar in the cathedral of St Michael, constructed around 1754. In conclusion, the paper presents two examples of sculptural and painterly depictions of Mary the Victorious in the wider frontier area (Požega, Valpovo), commissioned by the Jesuits or members of the Habsburg elite, since due to specific political circumstances, they emerge as key patrons of significant artworks in this region.

明末清初宣府镇蒙古归附武官颇氏家族事迹考

In the late Ming Dynasty, a family of the Po, who was a Mongolian military officer, emerged in Xuanfu. At first, they served as “Yi Ding(Tatar Soliders)” in Jiubian(nine-frontier fortification system of the Ming Dynasty). Unlike the Mongolians who joined the Wei Suo system in the early Ming Dynasty, the Po family served as private armed servants of Ming Dynasty border defense generals. They not only serve as frontline soldiers for border defense generals, but also serve as Mongolian language translators for them. In short, they have a lot of effectiveness.At the same time, they were incorporated into the military status of the garrison in Xuanfu, and became officials in the camp step by step from the positions of garrison and guerrilla.Its members took part in a series of eastern expeditions and western wars in the late Ming Empire, such as the Imjin War, and participated in the battles of Jigsan and Ulsan to expel the Japanese army, while the father and son of Pou Tingxiang participated in the war between the Ming Dynasty and the Later Jin Dynasty and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield. After the change of Dynasties in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the members of the Po family chose to become officials in the Qing Dynasty for the sake of family interests, and tried to let the next generation continue to engage in the army and maintain their glory. However, due to the collapse of the former Ming Dynasty’s military officer system, the Qing Dynasty’s vigilance against the former Ming Dynasty’s generals, and the characteristics of the Qing Dynasty’s military system and military officer system itself, the Po family did not get the same position of power as the former Ming.In the end, like other generals on the Jiubian(nine-frontier), the former Ming generals, who were born as adherents, gradually withered away in the Qing Dynasty.

Initial development of Cotlin island south shoreline

The article considers the initial stages of developing the coastline of Kotlin Island in the first half of the 18th century. The construction of a unique system of fortifications and engineering structures and harbors for military and merchant ships was carried out according to the plan and under the leadership of Peter I. The oldest forts, the walls of the first Kotlin’s harbors, the initial docking channel, and the Italian pond were organized with the direct participation of the emperor in the period from 1704 to 1725. In the course of research, the author discovered archival materials that had not previously been introduced into scientific circulation. The article is published based on the results of a historical and cultural expertise along the southern coastline of Kotlin Island, aimed at identifying and preserving cultural heritage objects - coastal walls of harbors, fortifications and engineering structures.

Experimental analysis of low-dip reverse fault dislocation effects on tunnel site models with different soil properties

The fortification system of the tunnel structure spanning the active fault, such as the failure mechanism and fault-resistant design (measures), has not been thoroughly established. In this study, the self-developed cross-fault large-scale bedrock dislocation loading device platform is utilized to carry out the model test of the tunnel structure and soil site of sand and cohesive soil when the low-angle reverse fault dislocation occurs, based on the earthquake damage. The results demonstrate that: (1) When the fault is staggered, the segmented flexible joint tunnel segment is more favorable in the cohesive soil site. (2) When compared to the cohesive soil tunnel structure site, the strain change of the tunnel structure in the sandy soil site is greater, with the vault increasing by roughly two times and the arch bottom increasing by nearly six times. After the tunnel is buried, the uplift range of the sand cover layer grows, revealing uneven deformation, and the rupture zone migrates to the footwall; hence, the sand site plays a “add seismic” role in the cross-fault tunnel structure. (3) Knowing the location and shape of the rupture range of the overburden soil caused by bedrock dislocation under different inclination angles and soil properties is required in the design in order to place the buried depth and segment length of the tunnel reasonably and take fault-resistant measures.

Unveiling a hidden fortification system at “Faraglioni” Middle Bronze Age Village of Ustica Island (Palermo, Italy) through ERT and GPR prospections

We carried out a geophysical research project in the Middle Bronze Age village of Ustica (Palermo, Sicily, Italy), named “Faraglioni Village” after the stack formations which detach from the coast north of the archaeological site. The investigation, which comprised Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) techniques, allowed us to discover the buried foundations of an outwork fortification system never evidenced by previous archaeological studies, only hypothesised from the observation of aerial photography and partially outcropping boulders, which align roughly parallel to the main defensive wall of the Village.Our geophysical prospection involved the entire 250 m-long arc of the outward village defensive wall, with the acquisition of eleven ERT profiles and 27 GPR scans. The techniques were selected based on both favourable logistics and methods applicability: ERT sections allowed us to trace a series of high-resistivity anomalies arranged to form an arc-shaped structure along the perimeter of the defensive wall. GPR investigation was localised in the most accommodating patch of terrain of the site, with the effort of intercepting clear enough sections of the target, to determine more accurately its shape, depth, and overall dimensions. Our discovery paves the way for new investigations, mainly aimed at defining the timing of construction of the fortification system, as well as the function of the remains of other architectural structures identified close to the wall, which could represent the target of further geophysical investigations.

Labor Mobilization in North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic during Great Patriotic War

The article discusses a range of issues related to labor mobilization during the emergency conditions of wartime in the North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. One of the main objectives of this article is the publication of sources in a scholarly manner. The materials from the Central State Archive of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and the State Archive of Recent History of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania on the topic are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The materials containing decisions on implementing defense measures, creating a system of defensive fortifications, and mobilizing citizens through labor duty are analyzed. Attention is paid to the activities of the Ordzhonikidzevsk (Vladikavkaz) Defense Committee and local authorities in organizing work in these areas. The relevance of the study lies in shedding light on historical experience in taking defense measures with active support from the population in the rear. The authors emphasize that rear work helped the army to accomplish its tasks. The authors conclude that during the Great Patriotic War, heavy physical labor became a norm of life for women, children, and adolescents who replaced able-bodied men who had gone to the front. Labor mobilization allowed for the quick organization of work by a large number of people and brought victory closer.

Військовий табір Коблеве та західний кордон хори Ольвії римського часу

In the article the results of the first archaeological investigations of the Roman military camp near Kobleve village on the left bank of the Tylihul estuary are highlighted. According to the extensive analysis of narrative and cartographic sources of the 19th century, it was possible to clearly determine the location of this camp and introduce it into the system of Roman period field fortifications on the territory between the Buh and Tylihul estuaries. The analysis of the obtained materials made it possible to partially reproduce the construction of the camp’s fortifications and outline the period of its operation in the second half of the 1st century AD. Considering the chronology of amphorae finds (light clay with double-barreled handles) and historical events, namely the combined campaign of T. Plautius Silvanus' troops to Chersonesos, it can be stated that the Kobleve camp, like other similar monuments in the region, was built in the third quarter of the 1st century AD. It should be noted that this object was part of the general system of protection of the Olbian chora during Roman times, which did not consist of linear defensive structures (ramparts with ditches, as it was previously believed), but of a system of fortifications of individual cities and settlements and military camps-forts erected near the most important highways. It should also be emphasised, that the Kobleve Roman fort and similar camps (Didova Khata III and Kamianka V) were located near high mounds with traces of fortifications on them. The camp with the mound formed a single observation and defense complex, which was responsible for the protection of certain sections and junctions of the main roads (in particular, the Road of the barbarians), crossings, as well as the northern borders of the Olbian polis of Roman times, at least from the third quarter of the 1st to the beginning of the 2nd centuries AD. After the stabilisation of the political and military situation in the region during the second half of the 1st century AD, the chora of Olbia had began to expand. In addition to other factors, the appearance of numerous plaques with dedications to Achilles Pontarchus, including along the Road of the barbarians in the area of Kobleve village, serve as markers of this. It testifies to the restoration of Olbia’s influence on these territories around the beginning of the 2nd century AD and the establishment of the western border of its chora along the left bank of the Tylihul estuary. Perhaps the influence of Olbia had spread further west. Finally, we emphasise that the field studies of the Kobleve Roman military camp are promising (to establish the planigraphy of the monument, the stratigraphy of the remains of the rampart and the ditch, as well as the identification of building remains inside its area).

The First Evidence of Burials from Samshvilde A Preliminary Archaeological and Bioarchaeological Study

Samshvilde is one of the most remarkable archaeological complexesin southern Georgia and in Caucasia in general. Its convenientgeographical position has attracted populations since the StoneAge, but the city gained its major political and economic powerin the medieval period, when it became the center of the wholeregion. Its location in the historic Kvemo Kartli province, near thesouthern branch of the Silk Road, contributed to its rapid development,and the promontory on which it was built allowed for itseasy defense. From 2014 to 2019 two archaeological sections werestudied on the site: the citadel, or main fortification system, andthe area near the Sioni cathedral that is dated to the 8th century.Excavations inside the citadel walls aimed to clarify the stratigraphyof this area, and in the Sioni section the focus was on findingthe city cemetery.During the summers of 2016 and 2017 human remains were exhumedfrom the Sioni section at Samshvilde. A bioarchaeologicaland brief mortuary analysis of graves no. 2 and 4 is presented here.Fieldwork is still under way in the cemetery, therefore it is too soonto have a global image of its features, such as typical burial practices,or a demographic profile of the population, but we hope topursue this analysis in upcoming years.

Masters of mudbrick: Geoarchaeological analysis of Iron Age earthen public buildings at Ashdod‐Yam (Israel)

AbstractExcavations at Ashdod‐Yam exposed a fortification system that features a massive mudbrick wall with large earthen ramparts laid on either side. This fortified horseshoe‐shaped enclosure once surrounded what was likely a human‐made harbor and an adjacent acropolis with complex earthen architecture, constructed and active during Iron Age IIB–C (eighth–seventh centuries B.C.E.). These Iron Age public structures are at the center of the current research. In this paper, we present the geoarchaeological analyses of Ashdod‐Yam's earthen architecture. We applied a multidisciplinary methodology to new evidence for mudbrick manufacture with the goal of understanding the relationship between governing bodies and craftsmen. The analyses combine X‐ray fluorescence, loss on ignition, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and thin‐section petrography to investigate raw material procurement, manufacturing choices, and labor organization at Ashdod‐Yam during Iron IIB–C. Construction techniques and the standardization of the mudbrick recipe point to a local enterprise regarding the site's public earthen architecture. Furthermore, the degree of labor organization must have been closely observed and supervised by a central political power. Thus, it is argued here that construction and maintenance of the site was carried out by the kingdom of Ashdod, either as a part of its own local initiative or on behalf of the Neo‐Assyrian empire.

Строительство оборонительных укреплений на территории Саратовской области в период Великой Отечественной войны

In the article the author addresses one of the little-studied issues of the history of the Great Patriotic War in regional historiography. The construction of defensive lines on the territory of the Saratov region, which was located for a long time in the near rear of the Soviet-German front, was carried out for a year and a half, took on a large spatial scale and required large-scale expenditures of human and material resources. From the autumn of 1941 until March 1943, six field-type defense lines with a total length of over 600 kilometers were built in the region. It is shown that the Saratov defensive lines were part of a general deep-echeloned system of fortifications designed to cover the main strategic areas, economic and administrative centers of the country. The organization and progress of the construction of defensive fortifications on the outskirts of Saratov, the nature and extent of the participation of special units of the Red Army and the local population in it are considered. The question is raised about the expediency of erecting protective lines on the territory of the region, the validity of the construction period.

HYPOTHETICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANNING STRUCTURE AND ARCHITECTURE OF THE HIGH DEFENSIVE WALL OF THE MIDTOWN OF LVIV FOR THE 13th-14th CENTURY

Lviv is one of the cities in Ukraine that had a highly developed system of medieval fortifications. This system of fortifications was built in the XIII-XIV centuries, modernized many times and served until the 18th century. However, today in Lviv, only small remains of the medieval fortifications of the city center have been preserved in the form of architectural objects - several fragments of the defensive wall and only one defensive tower, which was rebuilt into a tower in the 16th century. These preserved objects belong to the so-called High defensive wall. These are: a fragment of the lower part of the defensive wall on 16 Svobody Avenue, a fragment of the wall and the Povoroznyk tower (connected to the building of the City Arsenal), a fragment of the wall on the Pidvalna Street (to the Royal Arsenal is attached), a fragment of the wall and the remains of the corner Rymarska tower, the remains of the foundations of the corner Shevska tower, a preserved and superimposed fragment of the wall near the Vienna coffee house (12 Svobody avenue), the remains of the wall in the basements of the building on 9 Mickiewicz Square. The rest of the remains of the High Wall are underground in the state of archaeological objects. These unique objects of military construction are not registered as architectural monuments. Also, they are not listed as monuments of archeology. Every fragment of city defense fortifications preserved today is, as a rule, a valuable document of its era and requires careful protection and preservation. Therefore, the study of the architecture of the medieval defense complex of the Lviv city center, which was created before the appearance of firearms, is important both for the history of the city and for the history and theory of domestic military architecture. This paper presents an analysis of the first stage of the construction of the High Defense Wall around the Lviv midtown and presents a hypothesis regarding its architectural solution. Special attention is paid to the issue of the planning structure of the fortified belt. The hypothesis that initially the defensive contour of the High Wall had a rounded shape has been substantiated. The argumentation about the towerless nature of the defensive belt at the first stage of the development of its fortifications is presented. There were two gates at the first stage of the construction of fortifications, which were called Tatarska and Halytska. The architectural solution of the gates was specific. The gate was formed by two towers (semicircular in plan). The gate-entrance with drawbridge was located between two high towers. At the second stage of development, the defensive High Wall was modernized, raised and a number of defensive towers were built. At the third stage, the planning scheme of the fortified belt changes. The line of the High Wall in the eastern span acquires a rectangular character with outward-projecting towers and corner towers.

ПРОБЛЕМА ПРЕДСТАВЛЕННЯ АРХІТЕКТУРНО-МІСТОБУДІВНОЇ СПАДЩИНИИ КАЛУША У СУЧАСНОМУ СЕРЕДОВИЩІ МІСТА

In this article we find out the historical value of town-building heritage on the territory of historic core of town Kalush, we also proved the hypothesis concerning the location of lost objects situated in the historic downtown, in this research we identify fragments of preserved elements of shape and planning city structure dated XV-XVIII century. While research process it was made the scheme including theoretical planning of the historic fortress of town Kalush for the period of XVII-XVIII century, this work was based on field surveys and collected source base. At the mentioned period, the city had the appearance of a regular city center with a Market Square with market quarters with straight streets, which were bounded by a regular quadrangular close to square fortification system with corner bastions. The planning structure of the center of historical Kalush fit into a regular rectangle. The center of the city included the Starostyn castle described in several historical sources, the territory of which adjoined the market square on the long side, and on the two short sides it bordered the territory of the church of St. Valentine and the territory of the church of St. Michael. Also we analyzed the existing components (dated XV century) of the historic city environment, and made the identification of such objects on the modern planning structure of the city. In this research work we described the main features of unique historical environment of the city, which is threatened nowadays, also we outline the ways of solving the problem concerning preservation and protection of the historic core of town Kalush. In order to preserve and present the unknown architectural and urban planning heritage of the city, its residents and guests are invited to use the method of Symbolic identification of the historical center of Kalush.

Building Technique of the Early Byzantine Fortifications of the South-Western Taurica: Historiographical Tradition and Archaeological Realities

The system of early mediaeval fortifications in the Byzantine lands in the South- Western Crimea remains an object of discussion. The dating of many fortifications was determined by indirect evidence, particularly the stonework of defensive walls. In the mid-twentieth century, A. L. Yakobson inferred that the Crimean forts of ashlar masonry dated to the age of Justinian I. This article argues that the technique in question appeared in the Hellenistic Period and was used in the defensive walls throughout the history of Byzantium and therefore was not a particular chronological marker. The given research addresses the materials of archaeological investigations at 12 forts in the South-Western Taurica, constructed, in the scholars’ view, in the Early Middle Ages. The results of historiographical analysis make it possible to single out a group of castles constructed in the sixth century according to archaeological materials: Mangup-Kale, Eski-Kermen, Bakla, Sivag-Kermen, and Alouston. This group should also include the fort in Gorzoubitai, the construction of which fortifications was described in the Buildings of Procopius of Caesarea. The ashlar facing of defensive walls has been documented at two sites of the group in question, Mangup and Eski-Kermen. The other forts had rubble facing of their defensive walls. Apparently, both building techniques were used by the Byzantine engineers in the Taurica simultaneously. With a degree of probability, the castles of Chufut-Kale and Kalamita and the fort in the Karalez valley can be attributed to the Early Middle Ages.

Sulakskaya voennaya liniya i Kumykskij kordon: istoriya stroitel'stva i voenno-strategicheskoe znachenie

The article examines the history of the construction of the fortification system of the Sulak cordon, the Kumyk Line and their place and role in military-strategic planning in the development of the region. The Kumyk front line began to be built during the years of A.P. Yermolov, as a springboard for the development of territories that were part of the Left flank of the Caucasian cordon line. The Sulak cordon, the main purpose of which was to cover the Zasulak Kumykia, began to be built in the 40s of the 19th century.

From the Iron Gate to Uzundara: some results of the work of the Bactrian detachment of the CAE IA RAS

The article presents the results of the work of the exploration group of the Bactrian detachment in 2016–2022 in the Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region of the Republic of Uzbekistan. These works were aimed at the archaeological surey of the Suvsiztag Mountain in the territory to the north of the Uzundara fortress. The territory in the interval from the Buzgalakhon gorge to the Darband wall is considered separately. The site of the iron gate is described in close connection with the geography of the region and other structures of the fortification system such as Tower No. 1, Tower No. 2 and Uzundara Fortress. A plan of the Darbant wall has been drawn up taking into account the terrain and new facilities near the Shurabsay River gorge.The first data on the Tower No. 1 found in 2022 was published, as well as the results of the excavation of Tower No. 2. This tower, round in plan, was lined with a smaller stone from the outside and had a “basment” room. During the excavations, more than 40 fragments of ceramics were found including two fragments of jugs with a roller on the throat and a rim of a pot-shaped cup. All these finds are similar to those from the Uzundara Fortress, which allows us to establish the date of the existence of Tower No. 2 within the III–II centuries B.C. The final part of the article reflects the topographic and logical relationship and interdependence between all the objects under consideration

PECULIARITIES OF THE FORTIFICATION SYSTEM OF THE INCASTELLATED COMPLEX OF THE HOLY CROSS MONASTERY OF THE SKETE MANIAVSKY

For several centuries, the Maniavsky Skete played the role of a significant sacred, cultural, and defensive centre of the region. The first two factors have been studied quite thoroughly, but the third one has been neglected by scholars. Therefore, the study of the defence system of the sacred abode is quite relevant. Its study can help to reconstruct the appearance of the complex, the location and planning of the main structural elements, especially since the monastery is listed in the State Register of Immovable Monuments of Ukraine as an architectural monument of national importance under the number 239/0, as well as its individual buildings: the gate tower (No. 239/1), the treasury (No. 239/2), the defensive tower and walls (No. 239/3), and the refectory (No. 2394). The article is aimed at clarifying the structural units, historical architectural and functional type, typology by the method of fortification, location features (in the landscape environment, in the hydrographic environment, in the urban environment), as well as outlining the architectural and fortification features of the defensive monastery complex. Based on the results of the study of iconographic, cartographic sources and field surveys, the article examines the planning structure of defensive structures and fortifications and the fortification system of the encastled complex of the Holy Cross Monastery of Skete Maniavskyi, founded in the forest of the Carpathian foothills on the lands of the village of Maniava in the Galician district of the Galician land of the Ruthenian Voivodeship in the late Middle Ages as a monastery of Orthodox hermit monks.

Spatial Use and Structure of Fortifications of the Early Medieval Stronghold at Pasym in the Masurian Lakeland

The stronghold at Pasym is located on an extensive peninsula surrounded by the waters of Lake Kalwa in the southern part of the Olsztyn Lakeland. During the recent investigations in the stronghold, archaeologists discovered relics of residential buildings andevidence of a complex system of stronghold fortifications, which is the main issue discussed in this article. The stronghold’s defencescovered a 36-metre-long stretch and included rampart, a cobbled platform and four dry ditches encircling the entire hill. Such fortifications have no close parallels in the areas inhabited by the West Balts during that era of the Middle Ages. The plateau of the stronghold measures 46×35 m. Archaeologists discovered remains of dwellings on the eastern edge of the plateau, while there was no evidence of such structures in the central part of the stronghold, only more or less regular sets of post holes and small refuse pits. In the north-eastern part of the plateau, in the vicinity of the cobbled platform, a small building containing a grain store was discovered. The beginnings of the Pasym stronghold can be traced to the late 7th century and all available evidence indicates that it is the only site of this type in the Masurian Lakeland with such an early provenance. It is worth noting that the origins of the stronghold can be synchronised with the appearance of the first early Slavic strongholds, in particular the earliest phases of features discovered in Szeligi (Płock District, Poland), Haćki (Bielsk District, Poland), and Zymne (Volodomyr Region, Ukraine).