Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Titus Pullo · 22nd January 2006, 07:20 AM

I like the European medieval castles also. It seems that they were great builders using large blocks of stone to make castle walls. The Romans make note of this when Caeser was on the campaign to conquer Gaul. Although, I know how the medieval castles compared to the earlier Celtic defensive wall. The Romans were very ingeneous themselves when it comes to building fortification or any structures, that proved to be very useful. They had a secret building material...a type of cement, closely resemble what we have today, and they were very strong. As strong as anything stone. I heard it was made from some type of volcanic rock mixed with some other chemicals and rocks. This allowed them to build stone sea port with the base directly under water. And they make alot megastructures from it, also. But the Siamese, I think, made the moat much deeper and wider it would have been much more difficult to siege, probably impossible with the European-medieval-style-castles! In a Ayutthaya, the width of the moat once span probably something like the length of two football stadiums. The Chinese had something like this also...I don't know who copy who. If you look at the picture of the imperial palace in Bejing, I think, it is very impressive! The Siamese did this on purpose because, not only were they great defensive barrier, but also large European and Arab merchant ships could sail upward from the mouth of the Jao Phraya River and docked at the Aytthaya's ports. This was a huge Island with the population of about 1 million in the middle of the mainland. Can you imagine how it must have looked back in those day?

Another interesting fortress are the ones in the Middle East. Those look very elaborate in designs and well built. It would seem to be a difficult place to storm and take the city. Very impressive!

22nd January 2006, 07:20 AM	#5
Titus Pullo Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 123	I like the European medieval castles also. It seems that they were great builders using large blocks of stone to make castle walls. The Romans make note of this when Caeser was on the campaign to conquer Gaul. Although, I know how the medieval castles compared to the earlier Celtic defensive wall. The Romans were very ingeneous themselves when it comes to building fortification or any structures, that proved to be very useful. They had a secret building material...a type of cement, closely resemble what we have today, and they were very strong. As strong as anything stone. I heard it was made from some type of volcanic rock mixed with some other chemicals and rocks. This allowed them to build stone sea port with the base directly under water. And they make alot megastructures from it, also. But the Siamese, I think, made the moat much deeper and wider it would have been much more difficult to siege, probably impossible with the European-medieval-style-castles! In a Ayutthaya, the width of the moat once span probably something like the length of two football stadiums. The Chinese had something like this also...I don't know who copy who. If you look at the picture of the imperial palace in Bejing, I think, it is very impressive! The Siamese did this on purpose because, not only were they great defensive barrier, but also large European and Arab merchant ships could sail upward from the mouth of the Jao Phraya River and docked at the Aytthaya's ports. This was a huge Island with the population of about 1 million in the middle of the mainland. Can you imagine how it must have looked back in those day? Another interesting fortress are the ones in the Middle East. Those look very elaborate in designs and well built. It would seem to be a difficult place to storm and take the city. Very impressive!