Medieval Castle Research Articles

Material Testing of Historic Bricks and Mortars in Degraded Masonry Structures.

The subject of this article is material research carried out on the ruins of a medieval castle located in west-central Poland. This facility was built at the beginning of the 15th century by the Order of St. John, and during its long life, it was subjected to many reconstructions. Unfortunately, in 1975, it was destroyed by fire. Since then, it has been left in a state of advanced ruin, exposed to climatic influences without any protection. The subject of the research was to assess the possibility of maintaining such buildings in a severely degraded condition while ensuring their technical efficiency. The article discusses a particular instance of "consolidation" applied to a structure in a state of historical, architectural, and structural ruin. After the diagnosis, it was determined that the structure should be safeguarded using a minimally invasive method. The purpose of these activities was to answer the question of whether the structure could be left to continue operating despite failing to meet the requirements of current standards and regulations while posing an additional danger to itself and the environment,. This goal was achieved by obtaining a considerable amount of data on the condition of the materials embedded in the masonry structure, thanks to which the initial parameters for conducting an assessment of the technical condition of the damaged masonry structure and evaluating the degree of its danger were developed. The results of the research and analysis carried out and described in this article can be used in other similar situations where saving national heritage objects through "artificial modern" strengthening will be unsafe and will lead to a loss of their authenticity. We still have a long way to go to develop a comprehensive method for "in situ" diagnosis of heterogeneous masonry structures, so we should use possible techniques and knowledge to conduct such assessments and propose rescue methods for historically valuable objects in a way that could minimize the damage and that can "easily" disappear from our surroundings. Each study should have a specific purpose, not only research but also a long-term perspective, making it possible to leave material for further research and analysis, including testing new research methods in real conditions of its installation.

CRAFTING AND MODIFYING RHINE CASTLE MODELS WITH PARAMETRIC MODELING IN BLENDER

Abstract. In the domain of architectural heritage conservation, the recent advancements in 3D modeling have significantly improved the reconstruction fidelity of historical edifices, particularly medieval castles of the Rhine region. The existing traditional 3D modeling methodologies, though precise, are laborious and exceedingly time-consuming, requiring a detailed focus on intricate architectural nuances. Advancements in Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology have played a key role in simplifying this process, offering an adaptable and parametric approach to architectural modeling. Nonetheless, the domain of Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) faces the distinctive challenge of scarce parametric object libraries that are suitably representative of historical heritage, compounded by the architectural heterogeneity inherent in these ancient structures.This paper presents a novel methodology utilizing the Blender software suite, with an emphasis on exploiting ”Geometry Nodes” and ”Modifiers” for parametric modeling. We introduce a technique that significantly enhances the efficiency of modeling Rhine castles. This method supports rapid alterations and precise customization, catering to the specific analytical needs of archaeologists and heritage researchers. The proposed approach aims to bridge the gap in HBIM by providing a flexible, dynamic toolset for the accurate digital preservation of historical architecture.

Brain Barriers

For important reasons, the evolution has separated the central nervous system (CNS) from the rest of the body with a set of diverse barriers. The CNS can be likened to a medieval castle surrounded by high fortress walls. The inhabitants of the castle (nerve cells) are well protected from barbarians (harmful substances, pathogens, and immune cells) that constantly attempt to breach the defenses and destroy the castle. Unfortunately, sometimes they succeed, leading to the development of neurological disorders. Let’s try to understand the barriers present in this castle and how they are structured.

Historical ruin of a medieval castle – proposal of methodology for comprehensive monument analysis

The development of civilisation and the changing needs of users have meant that most historic buildings have lost their original function and have begun to deteriorate as a result of lack of use. For this reason, structures preserved in the form of ruins require a comprehensive approach to solving their conservation, technical and architectural problems. The article presents the author’s method of analysing a ruined building, which takes into account a number of decision-making factors that form the basis for evaluating the structure and determining its further treatment. The proposed analysis is presented from the perspective of a conservationist and is intended to be a comprehensive compilation of knowledge about the monument. The author emphasises the significance of castle ruins as an important group of monuments that can provide a wealth of information about the history and culture of a site. However, there is currently no standard for analysing and collecting data that is crucial for the preservation of the site. The creation of such a document is therefore an extremely important issue.

KAI STEAM SUJUNGIA GAMTOS MOKSLUS IR VISUOMENINĮ UGDYMĄ

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) is emerging as an important link in modern education, seamlessly integrating different disciplines and fostering creativity and critical thinking. STEAM is particularly useful for children aged 5-8, whose genuine interest and curiosity actively engage them in learning this educational approach. It not only enriches students, but also inspires teachers to use innovative approaches to teaching different subjects. Science education is increasingly becoming an integral part of STEAM, in line with Lithuania's education strategy "Lithuania 2030". Successful STEAM education depends on a supportive school environment, effective leadership and teacher competences. This educational concept is in line with the objectives of the Strategy for Progress, with its emphasis on personalised learning and the formation of an innovative society. In the study, the integration of STEAM subjects allowed pupils to explore the links between disciplines and to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. The results revealed successful learning: students acquired knowledge about medieval castles and developed creativity, problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills by designing and building castles in groups. Keywords: primary education, STEAM education, educational activities, knowledge and skills

Kilka uwag o szklanych naczyniach z grodu na Ostrowie Lednickim

This paper presents the results of an expert study of several glass vessels from an early medieval castle at Ostrów Lednicki. They come from the so-called second church, a single-nave small building erected in the 1060s and destroyed in 1038 or 1039. In its ruins, a collection of high-grade artefacts was discovered, furnishings of the same temple, as well as fragments of glass and fragmentary preserved glass vessels. The three specimens, examined in the laboratory, were made of potassium glass, of the calcium-potassium variety, of the CaO-K2O-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 type. Interpretation of the analytical results has led to a conclusion that all the vessels could come from a single workshop, attributed to Carolingian and Ottonian workshops in Imperial Germany. Another vessel, discovered in the eastern part of the stronghold and not associated with any of the sacred buildings, has an early date (6th to 9th century). It is believed to be a conical goblet of the Kempston type, made of sodium glass, of the mineral variety, of the Na2O-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 type, from one of the many Western European workshops.

The Lives Have It: Curating the Medieval Past at English Heritage Castles

This paper outlines some of the challenges to the public curation of the medieval past at castles, as experienced in the author’s curatorial capacity at English Heritage. Echoing the work of recent scholarship on the heritage presentation of castles, this paper contends that the breadth of narratives explored on such sites has been limited to a national, male-dominated legacy. This paper outlines key stakeholders in the public curation of castles, as well as the media at the disposal of English Heritage curators, before presenting an approach which centres the historical narrative around people. It argues that, by placing people, past and present, at the centre of the public curation of medieval castles, obstacles and limitations from previous approaches can be overcome. This paper concludes with a critical reflection, outlining some ways in which these challenges have been overcome using this approach at a recent project at Warkworth Castle (Northumberland). The article emphasises the capacity of traditional curatorship interplayed with creative endeavours, to bypass obstacles to telling a compelling but also challenging public history of medieval castles.

Evolution of a Medieval Castle Town and Its Landscape in the Southwestern Anatolia

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to develop a framework for understanding the archaeological sites composed of the remains and traces of castle towns and evaluating these sites together with their landscapes with a retrospective focus. A case study approach was undertaken with a focus on Kale Tavas (Tabae) in the Southwestern Anatolia. The scope of the Historic Landscape Characterisation was adapted to characterise the remains and traces of the castle town together with its landscape. Site survey at different scales, archive research, and in-depth interviews were used to acquire data. Our results suggest the related conservation boundaries should be determined not only considering the citadel walls but also the natural context that had contributed to the evolution of the castle town. For Kale Tavas, heritage management should be planned by considering the values of the historical landscape and the factors that threaten them, as this study shows.

Local or imported? The origin of the raw material used in manufacturing bricks from castles of the Teutonic knights in north‐central Poland and their significance to our understanding of medieval construction techniques

AbstractThis article presents the results of research on bricks from medieval castles in north‐central Poland. They were characterised based on petrographic analyses of thin section and mutually complementary instrumental methods. The bricks came from the oldest parts of the castles preserved to this day, or from castles not preserved but examined and excavated during archaeological research. The data obtained allowed for the identification of building materials that shared similar material and technical properties and that can be associated with different phases of the castles. Based on the results, it was found that the Pleistocene tills commonly found around the castles were not used in the manufacturing of the bricks. Small local deposits of fatty clays were used—Pleistocene varved clays or Miocene variegated clays. The buildings differed in the composition and texture of their bricks, indicating that the local clay raw material was extracted for each building separately. The share of raw material brought in from larger exposures further afield was small. Analyses of brick samples indicate the use of a fatty clay raw material that was improved by the addition of clastic material (quartz sand or a mixture of sand and quartz silt of various fractions).

Evolution of dynamic architecture

The article discusses the first objects of dynamic architecture: from mobile, collapsible elementary mobile housing units of nomadic peoples to the first simplest mechanisms of sliding bridges of medieval castles, which served as an impetus for the emergence of a new style of architecture of the future - dynamic architecture. The origins of dynamic architecture originated at the time of the birth of the first civilizations. With the passage of time and the development of technology, the objects of dynamic architecture have undergone a functional purpose, appearance and element of dynamics. The possibilities of practical application of dynamic architecture have increased in the modern world, thanks to scientific and technological progress and dynamic lifestyle, which has led to changes in all spheres of human activity, including architecture.

3D Laser Scanning and UAVs in cultural heritage: The case of Old Navarino castle in Pylos, Greece

The archaeological site of Palaiokastro (Old Navarino castle), is located in Messenia on the Coryphasium peninsula, at the southern end of the beach of Voidokoilia in the Navarino Bay, SW Peloponnese. Palaiokastro was built during Frankish rule of the Peloponnese, in the 13th century, over the classical Acropolis of Pylos.The aim of this study is the initial documentation of the current situation of the medieval castle of Palaiokastro applying innovative technology including terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). TLS and UAV photogrammetry have been used in an integrated design to rapidly facilitate the acquisition of the whole gate, eliminating all possible occlusions. TLS was exploited for the acquisition of the facades while the UAV was used to capture the top view of castle gate. The recent improvement of the post-processing algorithms provides us with the ability to implement fusion methods of TLS and UAV models and also deliver an accurate 3D model of the whole gate.The combination of photogrammetry from the UAV with the data of the terrestrial laser scanner was used in order to give us a multitude of products such as textured 3D model, orthophotos, 2D floor plans, elevations and sections which are necessary for the complete and accurate geometric documentation of the current situation of the Southwest gate of Palaiokastro Castle. The various products mentioned assist in the better management of the study data and identification of the different construction phases of the South Gate.

Synanthropic flora near the medieval Castle Kolno, Stare Kolnie, SW Poland

The medieval Castle Kolno, situated near the village of Stare Kolnie, served as a custom house at the confluence of the rivers Budkowiczanka and Stobrawa. Numerous diaspores of plants were found in archaeological excavations, in the layers of the 14th-15th centuries AD. The excavations were located near the former access road, where increased human activity has affected the composition of the fossil macroremains of plants. Two Brassica species (cabbage B. oleracea and black mustard B. nigra) cultivated in small fields near the castle were recognised. Diaspores of weeds and ruderal plants were also deposited at the site. The most frequent were: Solanum nigrum, Setaria pumila, Chenopodium album, Rumex acetosella, Persicaria lapathifolia, and Urtica dioica. The collected set of fossil diaspores is composed of plant species associated with anthropogenic habitats and shows the dispersal dynamics in various micro-niches within them.

Ebro Valley Gypsum Escarpment Near Zaragoza (NE Spain)—Combination of Highly Valuable Rock Record, Dynamic Geomorphosites and Associated Cultural Heritage

The 40-km-long escarpment of the Ebro River valley to the north-west of Zaragoza (NE Spain) is a remarkable geomorphological feature and an important geoheritage locality. Being 30 to 150 m high, the escarpment exposes a complex evaporate-clastic succession of Early to Middle Miocene age, with alternating gypsum and mudstone/marl units, as well as halite beds at depth. The escarpment is a highly dynamic feature, extensively shaped by mass movements of different types, especially in sections where it is directly undercut by the Ebro River. It also hosts abundant evidence of salt and gypsum dissolution, contributing to ongoing instability. Diverse cultural heritage is associated with the escarpment, including an ancient Celtiberian settlement, medieval castles, abandoned villages, rock-cut churches and dwellings and ancient salt mines. Twenty-six possible geosites are identified, with six considered as most representative described in detail. Opportunities to develop the area for geotourism are presented, but these will be associated with challenges of properly managing steep, dynamic and fragile terrain.

Human impacts on infilling rates of hollows in landslide‐prone areas of western Japan: Estimation from radiocarbon dates and high‐resolution DEMs

AbstractThe infilling rate of hollows is one of the primary factors affecting the recurrence interval of shallow landslides. Although many studies have focused on colluvium in hollows under various regional settings, few have directly estimated the infilling rates from radiocarbon dating and airborne LIDAR digital elevation models (DEMs) in shallow landslide scars. In this work, we analysed the radiocarbon dates of charcoal in the colluvium in the granitic mountains of Hiroshima and Hofu, where heavy rainfall has caused multiple shallow landslides in recent years. A total of 27 samples were collected from landslide scars in seven hollows, and the infilling rates were inferred from the calibrated radiocarbon ages and pre‐landslide depth of the samples estimated from the DEMs before the landslide event. Topographic parameters including local slope gradient and size of the source area were also measured using the DEMs. Our findings showed that the calibrated radiocarbon ages of colluvium in hollows ranged from about 350 to 1700 cal BP, and the infilling rates ranged from about 0.2 ± 0.2 to 5.4 ± 0.9 mm/y. In the two hollows with limited human impacts, the infilling rates were relatively low, and there is a trend of increase with increasing source‐area size and topographic curvature. In contrast, infilling rates were very high at two hollows with intensive human impacts where active surface erosion occurred from the 17th to the early 20th century. Three hollows located around the ruins of a medieval castle near the drainage divides of the source area also had relatively high infilling rates. For the hollows with intensive human impacts, the infilling rates were not controlled by topographic attributes such as source‐area size and curvature.

A contribution to the variability of Prunus spinosa L. in the vicinity of the mediaeval Castle Kolno, S-W Poland

The variability of fruit stone characteristics of medieval fossil forms and modern ones was analysed in a small Prunus spinosa (blackthorn) population in the vicinity of Castle Kolno near Stare Kolnie in Opole Province. A modern putative hybrid resulting from natural crossing with cultivated plums was discovered, corresponding to some fossil morphotypes. The analysis of the correlations of features indicated developmental relationships between them. The pattern of variability of the examined stones in the ordination space confirmed the development of the Prunus spinosa-Prunus domestica complex as an element of a dynamic syngameon. The population also showed variations in leaf morphotypes, which may be used in taxonomic analysis.

Garbage, the Castle, its Lord & the Queen

This paper seeks to explore an alternative approach to the interpretation of paradoxal evidence by comparing finds and contexts. It is based upon the theorems of garbology, developed by the archaeologist William Rathje (1945-2012) in the Tucson Garbage Project. While Rathje used archaeological methods for research in garbage reflecting modern consumerism, this paper takes the opposite approach, applying the theorems of garbology to late medieval garbage practices. A case study focusing on Boringholm Castle (lifespan between 1369 and the early 15th century) discusses the paradox of finding artefacts reflecting an outstanding elite culture in a modest environment that resembles a farmstead rather than a late medieval castle. The range of finds at Boringholm is very broad, demonstrating that this was the household of a parvenu who tried to imitate a courtly lifestyle.

Sensorium

Sensorium

Charlotte Mason, history and outdoor education and her relevance today

ABSTRACT This paper aims to raise awareness of the relevance of the philosophy of Charlotte Mason to primary school education today. First a biography of Mason, tracing her development from an orphaned pupil apprentice to an internationally influential figure, puts her philosophy in context. This is followed by an overview of her philosophy, with a focus on outdoor learning and on learning in history. Then three case studies of outdoor history investigations are analysed to explore the ways in which they reflect both the English National Curriculum and Mason’s philosophy. First, eight-nine-year-old children visit Stone Age sites, then five-to-seven-year-olds visit a medieval castle and finally a group of primary school teachers investigate a seventeenth-century farmhouse during a residential weekend. The paper explores how Mason’s philosophy and practice can enrich the teaching of history within contexts of the English Curriculum.

The Fortification Structures from Lipova at the End of the Middle Ages and in the Ottoman Period. A reassessment of the Available Sources.

The successive administrations of Lipova (Lippa) from the end of the Middle Ages until the modern period determined numerous changes relative to its historical topography and urban structures, including its fortifications. The direct association of the settlement with the Hungarian royalty in the fourteenth century, the transition from the fifteenth-century oppidum to the urban status of the sixteenth century and the shaping of a regional administrative centre according to Ottoman traditions generated a highly dynamic historical topography. The scholarly debate on the fortified structures of Lipova can be traced back to the second half of the nineteenth century. Its unknowns and discussions range from the simultaneous number of fortifications directly connected to the late medieval urban centre, their dating, exact location, extent, and particular architectural components. In the last century, scientists revisited the topic circumstantially. It remained problematic, primarily because all the material traces of the fortifications were demolished at the beginning of the 1700s, and they still await archaeological investigations. In the stated circumstances, we resume discussing the available sources that can help us reconstruct the configuration of fortifications during the fifteenth–seventeenth centuries by presenting their potential. Our preliminary study confronts the sparse archaeological data with pragmatic literature, narrative sources, and highly overlooked cartographic documents. Above all, we examine the cartographic sources of the late seventeenth century and their historical context because they recorded the spatial outline and the coexistence of three fortified precincts one inside another. The combined sources show that the medieval castle persisted at the very core of a mid-sixteenth-century bastion fortification encircled by the ample town precinct.

21세기 새로운 중세성(中世城) 쌓기 프로젝트 -역사·문화 체험으로서 실험고고학-

이 글에서는 먼저 프랑스 실험고고학계의 발자취를 간략하게 소개한 다음, 두 가지 대형 집단 실험고고학 프로젝트, 즉 아르케오드롬(Archéodrome) 프로젝트와 게드롱(Guédelon) 중세성 건설 프로젝트에 대해논하였다. 프랑스 실험고고학은 다른 서유럽 국가들처럼 19세기까지 그 연원이 거슬러 올라갈 수 있으나, 진정한 의미의 실험고고학은 2차대전 이후에 본격적으로 발달하였다. 프랑스 실험고고학은 주변 서유럽 국가들과 달리 석기 제작을 중심으로 개인적 차원의 실험고고학이 발달하였다는 점에서 특징적이다. 1978년에 문을 연 아르케오드롬은 프랑스 최초의 고고학 테마공원으로서, 집단 실험고고학은 이 고고학 테마공원의 개장과 더불어 시작되었다. 그렇게 탄생한 아르케오드롬은 초반에 많은 대중적 관심 속에서 원활히 운영되었지만, 90년대 후반기부터 운영난에 허덕이다가 2005년에 결국 폐쇄되었다. 유사 기관 간의 과당 경쟁, 전문화실패, 대중과 소통 실패, 모호한 정체성 등이 실패의 원인으로 작용했다. 한편 1997년에 시작되어 현재까지도진행 중인 게드롱 중세성 건설 프로젝트는 집단 실험고고학의 모범적 사례로서, 본문에서는 추진배경, 진행과정 그리고 이 프로젝트가 성공할 수 있었던 이유를 제시한 다음, 결론에서는 프랑스 실험고고학 사례들에서 국내 고고학 발전에 이바지할 수 있는 교훈을 찾고자 하였다.