Military Archaeology

This volume illustrates the structure and salient features of the fortified town of Casale Monferrato during the Spanish Succession War (1700 – 1714). After the citadel’s initial demolition, it was repaired by the Gonzaga Family at the end of 16th century. In 1696, the French returned Casale to the Duke of Mantova, only to reoccupy it indefinitely in 1701. At that time, the fermeture was planned, which re-fortified the part of the fortress damaged during its destruction. After summarising Casale’s strategic role in the 17th century within the policies of Spain, France, Savoy and Mantova, this volume presents the French engineer Paul Francois d’Astier’s documents and drawings, stored in the French Military Archives, Vincennes, and State Archives, Turin. These demonstrate what was prepared on the occasions of those interactions.
Overall, this volume focuses the reader’s attention on Casale’s role as a logistical base for the Armée d’Italie in the Po Valley during the campaigns from 1701 to 1706

Import of weapons came to the steppes in various ways. One of them was to pass on as diplomatic gifts that testified about the concluded covenants and emphasized the status and prestige of the donors and the donees. Such a ceremonial weapon was made to order at the rulers' court, often taking into account nomads’ sense of aesthetic. Another way of transfer was the purchase. Therefore, in border areas and near riverbanks, craft settlements were created. They often specialized in the production of weapons preferred by nomads. In addition, part of the collected weapons was undoubtedly the spoil of war.
The main centers of production and delivery of weapons for nomads were Ruthenia, Volga  Bulgaria, Caucasus, Byzantine, Central and Western Asia. Weapons from the Baltics and Western Europe territories were less likely to reach the Black Sea steppes.
A ceremonial weapon, buried in the grave, was not only meant to testify to the bravery and prestige of its owner but also indicated a warrior's social position and military rank. Also, funeral rites, related to the preparation of the deceased for the journey into the afterlife, in community awareness were to emphasize the ethos of the horse warrior.

Covers the structures and archaeological remains left by a range of historical activities on Bodmin Moor, including water (reservoirs, waterworks, iceworks), woodlands, military activities (largely WW2), recreation and antiquarian activities.

The legions of the Roman Army spark our imaginations, even
today. The image of their armour, large shields, swords and cloaks are prominent to us and instantly recognizable, with their eagle standards blazing overhead as depicted in stone on the iconic Trajan’s Column. The image of the eagle more than any other has lived on and been used by the likes of Napoleon Bonaparte centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. But what did the eagle standard, and indeed the others, mean to the soldiers who carried them? What did they symbolize? Why were they venerated?

SUMMARY: Coquetdale Community Archaeology investigated the First World War practice trench network on Blaeberry Hill near Rothbury, Northumberland, in February and June 2008. Preliminary survey identified two areas for excavation: Area 1, the intersection of a dugout and communications trench, and Area 2, a reserve trench. This paper summarises and builds on the results of the excavation report. The aims of the project were to investigate the extent, nature and development of military training in Coquetdale, to identify the nature and survival of WW1 remains, and to identify the impact of the military on Upper Coquetdale. This paper finds that the trenches were probably constructed and re-used in trench construction training for the Tynedale 1st Pioneers Battalion in 1915, and are comparable in their layout depth and design features to both War Office specifications and Western Front trenches. While the presence of the Pioneers in Rothbury was a significant social event, these trenches and the training that occurred there did not significantly increase recruitment in the later years of the War.

Shared here with permission of AA Editor.

Archäologische Untersuchungen auf dem Schlachtfeld einer der bekanntesten Schlachten des Dreißigjährigen Krieges in Norddeutschland. Der genaue Schauplatz des historischen Ereignisses wurde im Laufe der Zeit vergessen. Das laufende Projekt "Lutter" der Bezirksarchäologie Braunschweig hat zum Ziel, der schriftlichen Überlieferung archäologische Fakten an die Seite zu stellen. Seit 2011 wurden ausgedehnte Flächen mit Metallsuchgeräten auf Relikte der Kämpfe von 1626 hin untersucht. Mitglieder der IG Ostfalensucher bargen und dokumentierten bislang 561 Metallobjekte, darunter 451 Bleigeschosse für Handfeuerwaffen. Über Fundstellenkartierungen konnte die wahrscheinliche Lage des Kernschlachtfelds ebenso ermittelt werden, wie Zonen weiterer Gefechte und Rückzugsbewegungen des geschlagenen protestantischen Heeres.

Abstract One of the best known battles of the Thirty-Year War in Northern Germany took place in Lutter near Barenberge on 27th August 1626. Nevertheless, the exact location of the historical events was forgotten over the course of time. The ongoing project, "Lutter", carried out by the regional archaeological unit Braunschweig aims to provide archaological evidence to back up the written sources. Since 2011 metal detectorists have investigated extensive areas in search of artefacts relating to the fighting in 1626. Members of the IG Ostfalensucher have so far retrieved and documented 561 metal objects, including 451 lead bullets for small firearms. The likely location of the main battle area could also be shown through the mapping of finds, as could locations of further skirmishes and the defeated Protestant army's line of retreat.

Recherches archéologiques sur le champ de bataille du guerre de trente ans (1618-1648) de "Lutter am Barenberge", 1626. Les résultats fournissent de nouveaux aperçus des combats.

Excavations in 2018 at the rear of the former ‘Avalon Inn’, High Street, Castlecomer, uncovered the north-east bastion of a large fort which was probably constructed as a government fortress in the run-up to the 1641 Rebellion. The fort was one of a series built to defend the vital
road link between Dublin and Kilkenny and it was besieged by the Confederate forces in 1641-2. Castlecomer Fort appears to have been a relatively shortlived stronghold and whilst it was probably reoccupied c. 1653 by an English garrison and perhaps again in 1680, there is no indication that it continued to function as a fort after c. 1700. The paper describes the archaeological excavations and places the fort in its broader historical context.

Given the difficulty that archaeologists usually encounter in order to identify, contextualize and conveniently date the artifacts of military
origin found in their excavations, a catalogue of some of them is offered, especially the projectiles for portable muzzleloader and breechloading weapons most commonly used on the cantabrian coast between 1840 and 1880.

NOWOŻYTNE FORTYFIKACJE ZIEMNE JELENIEJ GÓRY W trakcie wojen prowadzonych na Śląsku w XVII-XX w. umacniano swoje pozycje budując m.in. liczne ziemne fortyfikacje polowe, związane np. z obozowaniem wojsk lub ochroną danego obszaru. Kilka z nich zachowało się do dnia dzisiejszego w Jeleniej Górze. Są to np. szańce powiązane z pruskimi obozami warownymi na Wzgórzu Partyzantów i Wzgórzu Kościuszki oraz inne fortyfikacje ulokowane na pozostałych miejskich wzniesieniach.

Early modern period earthwork FORTIFICATIONS in Jelenia Góra

Jelenia Góra for many times was a witness of multiple wars during which different field fortifications were created. Many of them were built during Thirty Year's War. Some of them protected the town others were left by besieging  armies. They are not preserved to modern times. Ramparts from the Silesian Wars (1740-1763) and War for Bavarian Succesion (1778-1779) were preserved , however. Thanks to lidar photos (ALS), source query (cartography, writen sources) and surface research (2014-2019) 6 position could be discovered and inventoried, 5 of them should be connected with field fortyfications, and one can be conical stronghold/castle (type Motte assumption). The Article is the first trial of issue description and thesis made in it must be verified as a result of further research.

(Cet exposé n'est qu'une esquisse sans pretention) (This presentation is simply an unpretentious sketch)
The present research is a gathering of analyzed archives from the historical period between 1786 to 1851 in order to present the Warriors from Kanehsatà: ke who took part in the 1812-14 War.

For the present research, archives from the historical period between 1786 to 1851 were analyzed in
order to get a glimpse about Warriors from Kanehsatà: ke who took part in the conflicts of 1812-14
War, considering that most historians previously associated them with Caughnawaga militias.

Of course, not only Mohawks took part in the militia associated to the British Crown against the
United States in Lower-Canada, but many other First nations such as the Algonkins of Ottawa and StMaurice,
and the Abenakis of St-François-du-Lac and Becancour were involved as voluntaries as well.

They were supervised by a hundred officers from both Canada’s who acted as agents, and interprets.
They had to wear a proper uniform in order to avoid being mistaken as American by natives fighting
on the USA side. The « Corps of Savages» as it was depicted, was created in these matters by the
Superintendent and inspector general Sir John Johnson and the Superintendant, Louis de Salaberry.

Several Indian Warriors sub-units were created such as: the Iroquois of Caughnawaga, the Iroquois of
St-Regis, the Nipissing and Algonkins of Two-Mountains Lake, the Abenakis of St-François. Those, from
Lower-Canada took part in: Queenston, October 13 1812, Odeltown, August 19 1812, Chateauguay,
October 26 1813 and Beaver Dams, June 24 1813.

The North American Indians and British soldiers who fought on the British side during the French
Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793-1815), had to wait until 1848 before they finally received
campaign medals. So, to recognize the essential participation of Native in defence of Canada during
the 1812 war, the Canadian government gave commemoratives banners and medals to 48 Canadian
communities Natives and Métis, which will be the main subject considered in this detailed study, from
Eric Pouliot-Thisdale of Kanehsatà: ke First Nation, which was funded by the Mohawk Language
Custodians Association, of the community.

Comunemente collochiamo la nascita della scherma nel
Rinascimento, poiché è relativamente a questo periodo che si ha notizia dei primi e più completi trattati delle scuole italiana, francese e spagnola, ma l’arte sistematica del combattere, in Europa, sembra antica almeno quanto l’uomo stesso. Riferimenti alle arti marziali abbondano già nella letteratura greca; le fonti sul pankratio olimpico, per esempio, documentano esempi di wrestling, boxe e kick-boxing
molto simili a quelli moderni.
Il desiderio di conoscere i dettagli degli antichi sistemi di
combattimento con le armi invita ad una sempre più attenta analisi delle fonti visive e dei pochi frammenti testuali a riguardo, per compiere osservazioni sulle tecniche che gli antichi Greci impiegavano nella pratica della scherma e che trasmisero alle epoche successive, attraverso la mediazione dei Romani.
Ricostruire scientificamente l’antico modo di combattere, le tecniche e le tattiche impiegate nell’uso della spada, richiede più che una speculazione deduttiva sulla base delle fonti: l’archeologia sperimentale è oggi divenuto un insostituibile
aiuto per i ricercatori di questo campo.
La perdita moderna della tradizione della scherma greca dell’antichità si può ricondurre a diversi fattori: per primo il modo orale di trasmettere le conoscenze schermistiche proprio di quell’epoca. Inoltre la segretezza dei metodi faceva sì che le teorie dei maestri si perdessero con la loro morte, così come si è persa anche l’implicita continuità con la scherma romana, medievale e rinascimentale.

The established image of the art of war in medieval Wales is based on the analysis of historical documents, the majority of which have been written by foreign hands, most notably those associated with the English court. This thesis has revisited the historical evidence, and together with the analysis of literature and virtually untouched archaeological material, in order to determine the accuracy of this image.
The thesis is separated into three sections. The first examines the variety of evidence available to study the art of war in medieval Wales, and assesses its value to the proposed research. The second is formed by a discussion of the different types of military equipment that would have been used, including the bow and arrow, the spear, the sword and other miscellaneous weapons. There is also a discussion on the form of the shield. Finally this is brought together in the final section to discuss the reality of soldiering in medieval Wales.
Medieval writers established an image of Welsh soldiering that is quite often backward and barbaric, and although some refer to Welsh skill in combat, they also emphasise the weaknesses of their approach and their unwillingness to partake in open battle, preferring night attacks and ambushes. However, it is clear from this assessment of the sources, that difference between the Welsh approach to war and that of their Norman and English counterparts was not significantly different. Occasionally native equipment was abandoned in favour of foreign forms, including a change from native round shields to kite and heater shields during the thirteenth century. In other circumstances it appears that elements of Welsh warfare were adopted by the English. However the differences between the weaponry used and tactics deployed.

Pre-modern warfare presents significant challenges to those who would attempt detailed analysis. Unlike post-Napoleonic era militaries, pre-modern armies rarely have any standardized organizational structure or guiding doctrine that enables us to make assumptions of how components were arrayed and employed on the battlefield. Unfortunately, this means much historical analysis simply glosses over or fails to examine details which would significantly affect our understanding of what occurred on the pre-modern tactical battlefield.
This does not mean, however, that we must accept generalizations and assumptions. My research into inconsistencies in historical analysis of the Battle of Nagashino (Japan, 1575) has demonstrated the value of using certain concepts of contemporary military analysis as a construct for reexamining pre-modern conflict. Comprehensively viewing a battle or campaign across the levels of warfare, diving into the details of how each combatant army was organized and equipped, and in-depth analysis of terrain and weather effects provide insights beyond those that can be gleaned from reading old texts. With this approach, the need to drastically reevaluate how samurai armies utilized firepower at Nagashino becomes obvious.
The goal of this paper is to explain these approaches as an analytical model to augment textual analysis by traditional historians, material analysis by archaeologists, and anthropological methodologies focused on participants, bringing these disparate approaches together in complementary ways.

A detailed examination of aerial photographs and lidar was undertaken as part of the desk-based assessment for the University of Reading Silchester Iron Age Environs Project. The results of the aerial investigation and mapping provide a framework for understanding how the landscape was altered over time and in particular how this affects our understanding and perception of the Iron Age to Roman transition. Sites of note include prehistoric funerary monuments and
settlements, medieval deer park boundaries and Second World War ordnance production and storage sites. The aerial photograph and lidar survey covered 143 kilometre squares, including and providing context for the core project area of c. 100 kilometre squares around the Iron Age oppidum and Roman town at Silchester. Archaeological monuments
from all periods from the Neolithic up until the Cold War were mapped and recorded, although the emphasis of the overall project is on the Iron Age. A total of 671 archaeological sites were discovered and information was added to 81 of the known sites in the area. The project data is available from the Historic England Archive and the West Berkshire or Hampshire Historic Environment Records.

The last twenty years have seen a complete overhaul in pre-Roman Iberian Military Archaeology. We now have complete and well organized databases containing thousands of weapons and hundreds of images. These in turn have allowed to determine and to refine the study of the different phases of the evolution of panoplies and their many regional variations, finally breaking up the old and misleading picture of homogeneity in time and space. More attention is now paid to the context of weapon finds: settlements, sanctuaries or cemeteries demand different analysis, and this in turn has led to a great variety of approaches, from the technological to the symbolic, from tactics to logistics. Beyond classification and typology, all aspects of warfare are now valid subjects. Study of fortifications has now progressed from the descriptive to the functional and symbolic, while new archaeological discoveries allow us to analyze the impact of war on civilian populations and the study of battlefields.

Resumen
En los últimos veinte años  se ha producido un cambio completo en la Arqueología militar prerromana. Frente a la investigación anterior, contamos con un corpus bien organizado de miles de armas y cientos de imágenes que permiten distinguir las fases de la evolución de la panoplia y las variantes regionales, frente a la homogeneidad anterior. Se presta ahora una atención mucho mayor a la contextualización de los hallazgos de armas: su lectura en contextos de poblado, santuario, necrópolis tiene matices muy distintos, que ha llevado a una gran riqueza de enfoques, desde el tecnológico hasta el simbólico. Más allá de la clasificación y tipología, la guerra se estudia en todos sus aspectos, desde la táctica a la logística. El estudio de las fortificaciones ha avanzado desde la descripción hacia el análisis funcional y simbólico. Nuevos descubrimientos arqueológicos permiten estudiar el impacto de la guerra en las poblaciones civiles y se ha abierto la arqueología de los campos de batalla.

Military archeology of the Modern Era in Piedmont. The study of Alpine military fortifications. This article presents a sector of post-Medieval archeology which is dedicated to the study of military fortifications in the Western Alps between Piedmont, Savoy and Dauphiné in the period from the second half of the 17th century and the end of the 18th century. The subject is divided by illustrating, first of all, the context of the studies of the military, architectural and territorial history of the states of Savoy during the Ancien Régime and focusing specifically on the few examples of military archaeological research; afterwards the author describes the western defense system of the continental states belonging to the Kingdom of Piedmont/Sardinia, starting in the 18th century, and the function of the military fortifications in that area; as well as the planimetric and construction characteristics of the defense works. The author then illustrates the research tools and methodologies used for the study of military fortifications, dividing them into those used for field archaeological research and and those for bibliographic research in the archives. The author reviews four case studies on which he conducted research from 1997 to 2011: the entrenchments of Assietta, of Piccolo San Bernardo, of the valley of Varaita and of the hills of Finestre and Fattières in the valleys of Susa and Chisone. The article concludes with a reference to the data from the exemplifications and the suppositions of the methods previously described and an attempt is made to extend the outlook for research on the defensive systems and on the artifacts discussed by proposing an interpretation of them as integral components of the historical Alpine landscapes along the old confines between France and Piedmont/Sardinia which can still be recovered and need to be adequately evaluated and protected.
Key words: entrenchment, military fortifications, confines, Alps, trinceramento, fortificazione campale, confine, strategia, Alpi

Il contributo illustra le fasi costruttive di un bastione della cinta fortificata di Chivasso (TO), realizzato negli anni ’70 del XVI secolo. I resti dell’opera sono stati indagati archeologicamente negli anni ’90 del secolo scorso, in occasione di un intervento d’emergenza in un cantiere edile; ciò nondimeno, oltre alla documentazione archeologica ordinaria, è stato possibile recuperare i dati inerenti le tecniche costruttive adottate in occasione dell’edificazione del bastione a partire dalle fondazioni fino all’elevato. Le risultanze in situ sono poi state sistematicamente confrontate e integrate con le informazioni sulle tecniche costruttive, presenti nella trattatistica di architettura militare rinascimentale, in modo da collocare la costruzione dell’opera in seno ad un contesto generale, di cui essa stessa diviene esempio concreto.

Carpathian fortifications of the Bar Confederation in the
light of the recent archaeological research – with a special
consideration of the fort over Wysowa In 1768 Bar Confederation broke out (1768–1772). For four years, the Confederates fought in many places of the First Polish Republic, clashing with Russian troops. After rapid defeats suffered upcountry of the territory of the Polish Republic, military operations moved to the mountainous areas of Lesser
Poland. Based on the protection of the mountains and the proximity of the Hungarian border, numerous military camps were set up in the area of the border strip. Old 18th century fortresses of the Confederates were located from the area of foothills to the Bieszczady Mountains. Most of them were forgotten and unknown. Only recent discoveries made mainly based on remote sensing data (lidar) have revealed the old camp sites. The consequence of these discoveries was the work of the authors of the article, aimed at the identification of the sites by means of geophysical methods (magnetometry, earth resistance). The main
efforts were made to identify the location of old fortifications, establish internal and external infrastructure and to confirm the confederate provenance of the sites in the case of very poorly preserved facilities. The old camps in Muszynka, Izby, Wysowa, Konieczna, Mytarka and Nowy Łupków were subjected to the research. However, the paper mainly refers to the fortifications of the camp above Wysowa, which shape was revealed during the last measurements.

Semi-circular huts have been a familiar element of Australia’s architectural landscape. Often simply called Nissen Huts, many of the older generation would have slept, ate, were taught or possibly been conceived in such a hut. They were common features of military bases, migrant camps, hospitals and educational institutions. However recent research has shown that not much is known about the huts and that there is a need for some more precise accounts of their types and variety.

The aim of the paper is not to provide a definitive account of the Nissen and similar semi-circular huts but to provide information on the nature of the huts, how to distinguish between the various types and to make some preliminary comments on the occurrence of the types in Australia. It is hoped that this modest amount of research will be of use to heritage consultants faced with a semi-circular building to assess.

V posledných rokoch patrí archeológia bojísk na Slovensku k pomaly sa etablujúcim odvetviam archeológie. Vďaka zopár zanieteným jedincom získava aj v odborných kruhoch postupne čoraz viac pozornosti. Hlavná pozornosť je venovaná opisu a dokumentovaniu bojových akcií, resp. zachovaniu a ochrane reliktov po bojových činnostiach. Napriek tomu sa výskum v zahraničí koncentruje vďaka dlhodobému záujmu o archeológiu bojísk na rekonštrukciu a pochopenie stratégií bojujúcich strán pomocou priestorových analýz. V nasledujúcom texte je predstavená jedna z najčastejšie využívaných analytických metód, ktorá je známa pod akronymom KOCOA. Ako modelové územie bola vybraná oblasť medzi Trnavou a Trstínom (juhozápadné Slovensko), kde sa nemecké jednotky pokúsili začiatkom apríla 1945 zastaviť postup Sovietov. Prostredníctvom metódy KOCOA sa pokúsime predikovať miesta vhodné na obranu. Konfrontácia vybraných lokalít s lidarovými snímkami má potenciál odhaliť prítomnosť doposiaľ zachovaných poľných opevnení, ktoré sa tak môžu stať predmetom ďalšieho výskumu a ochrany.