And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
A lot of investment in that wall for such a small town
You'd probably be surprised at the rainwater reclamation system built into ancient facilities. Same with the septic systems. Look up the inexpensive book titled, The Ten Books of Architecture, by Vitruvius and get some insight as to how ancient facilities were built and why they are still standing today.
Anyway, all the rocks in that construction were cleared from the surrounding farming fields. Back then life was rough and people were tough and snowflakes only happened in the winter, but life was always good.
Yep. Cities in Western Europe had no real walls until the crisis of the third century. The word from Rome was: "Defend yourselves. We are really busy here."
Probably started as a priory or abbey, not a town, but if it was a town, the wall and environs were built to house all the people of the nearby countryside when campaigning troops or brigands were nearby.
Nota bene that the whole thing sits on top of key terrain, which dominates and overviews the entire surrounding area, while simultaneously forcing any attack to come uphill, into the walls.
Tactics were well-understood centuries hence, and good ones meant living to fight another day.
Go to the website for gutenberg books, (see jaberwok above), download the book and browse through it. The knowledge these ancients had about architecture and design is amazing. And the ancient Greeks did it with compass, ruler and straight edge. Now we have students who cannot do basic math without a calculator.
About 70 years later, Edward I of England decided he'd subjugate the Welsh, so he built a series of pretty massive castles along the coast from which he could launch expeditions inland. The question about septic systems came to mind since at Conwy, the septic system was simply a series of seats on the wall which had chutes directing waste from the seats down the all and into the estuary where the tide would 'flush' it out to sea.
"In front of you are twelve individual latrines projecting over the town wall.
This remarkable row of communal toilets (or 'outside rooms' as they were known) are unique to Conwy. They cost £15 to build, that's about £45 000 in money today. That's a lot of money for some loos"
That's not a town, that's my house.
ReplyDeleteThe Dumbplumber here. Tell me where their water comes from and where the septic tank is located.
ReplyDeleteYou'd probably be surprised at the rainwater reclamation system built into ancient facilities. Same with the septic systems. Look up the inexpensive book titled, The Ten Books of Architecture, by Vitruvius and get some insight as to how ancient facilities were built and why they are still standing today.
DeleteAnyway, all the rocks in that construction were cleared from the surrounding farming fields. Back then life was rough and people were tough and snowflakes only happened in the winter, but life was always good.
That wall was really needed, tough times.
ReplyDeleteYep. Cities in Western Europe had no real walls until the crisis of the third century. The word from Rome was: "Defend yourselves. We are really busy here."
DeleteRe: The Ten Books on Architecture: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20239
ReplyDeleteReminds me of Orvieto.
ReplyDeleteIt kept the Riff-Raff out
ReplyDeleteProbably started as a priory or abbey, not a town, but if it was a town, the wall and environs were built to house all the people of the nearby countryside when campaigning troops or brigands were nearby.
ReplyDeleteNota bene that the whole thing sits on top of key terrain, which dominates and overviews the entire surrounding area, while simultaneously forcing any attack to come uphill, into the walls.
Tactics were well-understood centuries hence, and good ones meant living to fight another day.
Monteriggioni walled town, Tuscany, Italy. Built by the Sienese in 1214–19 during their wars against Florence.
ReplyDeletehttps://infogalactic.com/info/Monteriggioni
just surprised the fields weren't terraced
ReplyDeleteGo to the website for gutenberg books, (see jaberwok above), download the book and browse through it. The knowledge these ancients had about architecture and design is amazing. And the ancient Greeks did it with compass, ruler and straight edge. Now we have students who cannot do basic math without a calculator.
ReplyDeleteAnd worth every damn shilling.
ReplyDeleteOr whatever currency they used then and there
DeleteAbout 70 years later, Edward I of England decided he'd subjugate the Welsh, so he built a series of pretty massive castles along the coast from which he could launch expeditions inland. The question about septic systems came to mind since at Conwy, the septic system was simply a series of seats on the wall which had chutes directing waste from the seats down the all and into the estuary where the tide would 'flush' it out to sea.
ReplyDelete"In front of you are twelve individual latrines projecting over the town wall.
This remarkable row of communal toilets (or 'outside rooms' as they were known) are unique to Conwy. They cost £15 to build, that's about £45 000 in money today. That's a lot of money for some loos"
I've visited that castle! I don't remember much as I and my Italian ballerina friend were quite drunk.
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ReplyDelete