Monthly Archives: October 2018

In the earlier Norman castles, the key building was the Keep or Donjon. It was an all-purpose tower with living quarters and defenses built right in, usually with the chapel on the top floor to permit more windows. But as … Continue reading →

Even in castles made mostly of fieldstone, dressed stone had to be used for anything structural. We can see it in the interior connecting doors that often have arches, but they’re even more key in the places where thick stone … Continue reading →

We’ve all seen sketches of long lines of Egyptian slaves pulling huge blocks of stone on rollers, or up ramps, to form the pyramids. For me, and perhaps for many of my readers, that’s the dominant image when I try … Continue reading →

As the European castle evolved from the motte-and-bailey structure, to the bailey-and-keep, to the fully developed castle of the later Middle Ages, certain structure took on a life of their own. Chief among them, the gatehouse. By the late 1200s, … Continue reading →