Discovery by the text and the image|
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| Discovery by the text and the image |
ncient TimesTranslated : July 21, 2002
| Neolithic era |
At last, prehistoric men (iron age period) built promontory forts. Some suitable cliff headlands were defended by the erection of earthen ramparts or massive stone walls cutting off the neck of the promontory. One extraordinary example of such a fort can still be seen in Ireland in the Kerry. The Dunbeg promontory fort is protected by at least three walls preceded by ditches. Moreover, a souterrain runs under the walls from inside the fort to the exterior. In addition, the south of Europe is not in restee in the erection of fortifications. Thus, on Cefalù (septentrional coast of Sicily), the urban enclosure of the sea front rests on the remains of a neolithic enclosure characterized by its colossal stones. Cefalù, remains of a neolithic enclosure : 
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| Ancient Times |
Greece itself is of course covered with such ruins whose general architecture is very near with the future architecture of the medieval castles. Thus, on the picture below of the forteress of Acrocorinthe, you may notice in the lower left angle a crenelated tower which looks very familiar to us. Acrocorinthe (click on this picture to get a bigger one) : 
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| Rome |
Concerning the Roman army, there is a splendid site named Roman army in Great Britain. Do not miss the pictures of the roman fort in Hardnott, Great Britain . In addition, the Gallo-Roman populations were not long in setting up fortifications around their cities. These constructions arrived sometimes to us :  Gallo-Roman fortifications in France.
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| Principes généraux |
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o protect and affirm domination are the immutable motivations governing the erection of a fortress.
The use of the ground combined with material were harsh constraints to the members of prehistoric civilizations.
ach civilization projects its architectural style in its works. And if the citadel of Mycenes resembles of nothing to the roman Hadrian Wall, the great concepts of the fortification are set up.
The walls are high to discourage the climbing and crenelated in order to allow to reload its weapon without being exposed to the fire of the opponent. Towers reinforce the wall (or courtine) and allow flanking fires. Those enable by firing from the bulge of a tower, to shoot at opponents in zones normally difficult to reach from the top of the rampart (typically the bottom of the walls). Flanking fires limit as much as possible the dead angles.
The doors are the weak points of the enclosure (a door will be never as solid as the enclosure itself). Often, twinned towers will protect it and advanced works will ensure additional protection.
In a certain manner these rules will remain true until the introduction of the gunpowder and siege artillery.