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New: Article on the Medieval minsters of Beverley, Rippon and York, submitted by Stuart Sharp.
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Military technology was a dominant force in the shaping of cities in both Roman and medieval periods. A Roman military innovation was the organization of the army into an institution that served as a mobile building force. The army needed defensive fortification and a street pattern that would allowing swift troop movement but impede invaders. When soldiers settled in colonized territories they used their surveying and construction skills to build towns, typically on the military grid model. For example, army surveyors laid out Tigris, North Africa, on military camp lines (Chant & Goodman, 1999: p88).
Medieval cities were even more dominated by military needs. Castles, gates and fortified city walls are the notable secular medieval buildings. Fortifications altered to address innovations in tactics, weapons and siege techniques. The form of walls and castles was shaped directly by military technology. Stone city walls limited outward urban expansion, hence the tendency for buildings to be closely crowded together and to be built high.
These images give an example of some of the lengths medieval architects went to, in order that their castles be properly defended
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