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Castle Studies

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lightbulbAbout this topic
Castle Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the historical, architectural, and cultural significance of castles. It encompasses the analysis of their construction, function, and role in society, as well as their impact on landscape and heritage, contributing to our understanding of medieval and early modern power structures and social dynamics.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Castle Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines the historical, architectural, and cultural significance of castles. It encompasses the analysis of their construction, function, and role in society, as well as their impact on landscape and heritage, contributing to our understanding of medieval and early modern power structures and social dynamics.

Key research themes

1. How do archaeological methods and 3D modeling enhance understanding and preservation of castle architecture and historical evolution?

This research theme focuses on using archaeological excavations, stratigraphic analyses, and advanced 3D surveying and modeling technologies to document and interpret the architectural complexity and historical transformations of castles. These approaches are crucial for knowledge preservation, restoration planning, and virtual reconstruction, especially when dealing with fragmented or collapsed structures.

Key finding: The study combined an integrated 3D geodetic survey using Trimble SX10 scanning with stratigraphic analyses of masonries to reconstruct the architectural evolution of Frinco Castle (Italy), including the virtual restoration... Read more
Key finding: Through detailed archaeological excavation combined with geomorphological and aerial photographic analyses, the study reconstructed the 13th-century landscape around Castlehill of Strachan, revealing natural defensive... Read more
Key finding: Employing non-destructive methods including geophysics, drone photography, LIDAR, and 3D visualization, this research identified the spatial layout and structural components of the poorly documented Moravian castle Grünberg,... Read more
Key finding: Archaeological excavations combined with topographical surveys uncovered 7th-century fortifications and defensive systems at the castles of Rontana and Ceparano in Italy, evidencing early Byzantine military architecture. The... Read more
Key finding: Archaeological stratigraphy and artifact analysis at Dubovac Castle revealed its construction chronology from a probable 13th-century Romanesque stone tower to an early Renaissance castle layered upon previous wooden... Read more

2. How do castles relate to and shape their wider landscape and heritage, including intangible cultural dimensions?

This area studies the integration of castles within their physical landscape and heritage context, emphasizing archaeological, heritage management, and community engagement perspectives. It also incorporates the reinterpretation of intangible heritage—such as social histories, identity, and performative commemorations—to foster inclusive narratives and sustainable tourism while preserving both tangible and intangible heritage values.

Key finding: The paper highlights how castles function as nodes within complex landscapes encompassing governance, settlement, and economic networks, noting a current disconnect between castles as heritage monuments and their... Read more
Key finding: Focusing on Nottingham Castle, this study demonstrates how site-specific immersive theatre interventions, grounded in historical research and scenography, can reveal neglected gender and LGBTQI+ narratives, enhancing visitor... Read more
Key finding: By analyzing the legal frameworks protecting the Gothic lowland castle in Ciechanow, Poland, alongside field surveys and photographic documentation, the paper assesses how these regulations affect the castle's visibility and... Read more

3. What roles did medieval castles play in socio-political structures and urban-rural relationships, and how is this reflected in archaeological and documentary evidence?

This theme investigates the castles' functions beyond military defense, focusing on their roles as centers of administration, elite social mobility, and in some cases proto-urban functions especially in rural contexts lacking towns. Through archival research, prosopography, and archaeological data, studies reveal how castles interacted with their surrounding settlements, how officials were embedded socially and geographically, and how castles contributed to economic and social structures.

Key finding: Examining two medieval castles and four rural settlements in sparsely populated Värmland, Sweden, the paper finds that castles engaged in some craft production and trade, yet these goods rarely reached surrounding rural... Read more
Key finding: Using archontological and prosopographical data from six castles in medieval Upper Hungary (1402–1526), the research identifies castle officials’ social origins and tenure dynamics. Findings show that while some officials... Read more
Key finding: Through historical and charter analysis, the paper reconstructs the contested early history of York Castle and Clifford’s Tower highlighting ambiguities about construction phases, administrative functions, and ownership in... Read more

All papers in Castle Studies

Het artikel behandelt het consolidatie- en restauratieproces van het Groot Kasteel in Deurne na de Tweede Wereldoorlog en de naoorlogse carriêre van de laatste kasteelheer, Theodore baron de Smeth van Deurne. Dit artikel is gepubliceerd... more
Franciaország északi részén, a felső-franciaországi Aisne megye Fère-en-Tardenois nevű, mintegy 3000 lelket számláló településén, a világtól kissé elzárva fekszik a község nevét viselő romvár, amely méltán híres a napjainkban is álló,... more
A sátoraljaújhelyi vár tudományos tervkutatási program keretében zajló régészeti feltárása 2007-ben kezdődött, s azóta is folyamatosan tart. A kezdeti évek kisebb arányú, kutatási pályázatokból finanszírozott munkálatai után 2017-től egy... more
Les presents propostes són el producte de cinc anys de recerca sistemàtica al voltant dels documents altmedievals de les esglésies de Sant Pere. Un gran èxit va ser, ja fa un parell d'anys, la publicació del diplomatari de les esglésies... more
Dank der günstigen naturräumlichen Lage wurde der Würzburger Raum schon in der Vorgeschichte intensiv besiedelt. Die Entstehung des frühmittelalterlichen Herzogs- und Bischofssitzes und seine Entwicklung zur Stadt lassen sich anhand... more
Článek přináší výsledky průzkumu a dokumentace pozůstatků věžové tvrze (či hrádku) Hrochův Hrádek (okres Příbram). Upozorňuje také na dosud bezvýsledné snahy o konzervaci stavby a rychlý úbytek zdiva i vypovídací hodnoty. Věž byla... more
Des fouilles archéologiques menées par l’Université libanaise ont été réalisées en 2015 et 2016 sur le site de Gbail/Byblos. Le présent article se concentre sur l’une des phases de cette opération, conduite en juillet 2015, qui a permis... more
JULIEN ADAM Château de Moha: les fouilles de la zone dite « du donjon » (Lg.
Ацэнка праектаў рэвіталізацыі ў Беларусі патрабуе аб'ектыўнасьці, якую могуць забяспечыць ясныя крытэры. Досвед такой ацэнкі назапашаны ў краінах ЕС. Кожны праект прэтэндуючы на дафінансаванне са сродкаў ЕС, прахозіць некалькі стадый... more
The paper presents the results of archaeological excavations and datamining of historical sources concerning a motteandbailey castle once located in the area of Kadłub. This castle made part of the no longer extant allodium Garten.... more
Nel periodo tardoimperiale, quando già si intravedeva il medioevo all'orizzonte, Roma dovette consolidare i propri confini per far fronte ai perenni attacchi subiti dai popoli che premevano alle frontiere per affacciarsi sulle residue... more
Twee bijna volledig identieke houten spitsconstructies (1389-1395d) van de Bergkerk in Deventer geanalyseerd en in hun context geplaatst. Oudste voorbeeld van spanten in een spitsconstructie en enige voorbeeld van tussenbalkspanten in een... more
Considerable growth of the fortification activities in mining area of the Middle Slovakia region occured in the 15 th century. This caused establishment of so called town castles – fortified parish churches. Additional objects inside the... more
Results of archeological excavation at the Deserted castle in Zvolen, Slovakia.
The thesis elaborates on the general text on leather girdle purses by Olaf Goubitz published in the book Purses in Pieces from 2007. A deeper analysis of this topic was made possible by personal examination of the artefacts in this Dutch... more
Surveying Slavic ramparts in the Wendland region of Lower Saxony. – In recent years, detailed topographical maps of Slavic fortifications in north-eastern Lower Saxony have been produced. Contour maps of the Gartow-Elbholz and... more
An article describing and analyzing the remains of the castle of Alt-Winnenden which is a rare and early example (around 1235) for the adaptation of gothic i.e. french influences in contemporary southern german models of... more
The Ulaan Bulag burial site, which is located in Yöröö district, Selenge province, contains 86 tombs associated with the Xiongnu period. In 2022, three tombs were excavated at this site (Ishtseren , 2022). Of these, only Burial 3 yielded... more
Studie se na základě oficiálních turistických brožur a průvodcovských sylabů věnuje proměnám prezentace státního zámku Konopiště (okr. Benešov) široké veřejnosti během 20. století.
Posljednjih su se godina u gradskoj jezgri Varaždina u više navrata provodila arheološka istraživanja ili pak arheološki nadzor vezan uz razne građevinske radove. Prvo zaštitno istraživanje provedeno je još 1954. g., no ono je u sljedećih... more
Za{titnim istraivanjem koje je u najuoj gradskoj jezgri Varadina provedeno 1954. g. pridobivena je znatna koli~ina arheolo{kih nalaza. Uz ve}i drveni objekt, tzv. brvnaru datiranu u kasni srednji vijek, iskopani su brojni predmeti,... more
Passato il Monginevro, scendendo in Francia dalla Val di Susa, si può raggiungere comodamente un luogo decisamente suggestivo per farvi una gita anche "di giornata" dall'Italia. L'antica città di Briancon, sorta a 1326 metri di altezza,... more
Resumen: Exponemos los resultados obtenidos durante la intervención arqueológica llevada a cabo en la calle Francisco de Borja Pavón nº 22 de Córdoba. Los trabajos desarrollados en la zona de la Axerquía oriental de Córdoba dejaron... more
Introduction The cost of building dams is very high and their failure can be hazardous. On the other hand, they are vital for every country as freshwater storage. Deterministic and traditional algorithms can not answer the... more
CHAUX-DES-CROTENAY ET CRANS Expertise scientifique du fonds Berthier Archives de fouille et mobilier Illustrations de couverture (de gauche à droite) : Fragments de céramique marqués par les équipes d'A. Berthier (C. Ruet) Fragment d'une... more
Arheoloπko nalaziπte CirkviπËe smjeπteno je sjeverno od mjesta TorËec na razmeu opÊina Drnje i -elekovec (KoprivniËko-kriaeevaËka aeupanija). Poloaeaj se nalazi na blago poviπenoj dravskoj terasi smjeπtenoj uz cestu koja od TorËeca vodi... more
Posljednjih godina nastavljena je uspješna suradnja Instituta za arheologiju iz Zagreba i Muzeja Moslavine iz Kutine, ostvarena tijekom 1996. i 1997. godine. 1 Suradnja je intenzivirana radi obilaska poznatih srednjovjekovnih lokaliteta i... more
Posljednjih godina nastavljena je uspješna suradnja Instituta za arheologiju iz Zagreba i Muzeja Moslavine iz Kutine, ostvarena tijekom 1996. i 1997. godine. 1 Suradnja je intenzivirana radi obilaska poznatih srednjovjekovnih lokaliteta i... more
Tłumaczenie na język angielski / English translation MACIEJ PONDEL Opracowanie redakcyjne i korekta / Proofreading ELŻBIETA KOT (Polish text) GRZEGORZ KWIATKOWSKI (English text) Korekta techniczna / Technical editing EWA KUC Opracowanie... more
German translation by Béla Rásky of the article “Ghosts of Old Vienna: Romanticising a Vanishing Heimat in the Face of Modern Urban Redevelopment from the 1920s to the 1960s”, which appeared in a special issue of Central Europe in 2024... more
Nakon stanke od više desetljeća, tijekom rujna 2017. godine Institut za arheologiju proveo je arheološka istraživanja na položaju Jalžabet ‒ Bistričak, istočno od Varaždina. Radovi na Bistričaku provedeni su u okviru projektnih aktivnosti... more
Tekst sadrži preliminarni izvještaj o rezultatima arheoloških istraživanja u Novoj Bukovici tijekom 2017. godine. Istraživanja, financirana od Ministrstva kulture RH i Općine Nova Bukovica, izvedena su u sklopu „Strategije znanstvene... more
Se dan a conocer los resultados más destacados de las investigaciones realizadas sobre el denominado Castillo Viejo de Manzanares El Real, enfocado tanto a la revisión de la documentaria escrita como a los resultados de las cuatro... more
This articles discusses the changes in the architecture of the castle in Kożuchów, con- verted into a monastery in the Baroque period. The work presents the results of original architectural research carried out between 2009 and 2022. The... more
The article presents the history of the creation and transformation of the building complex of the alderman’s seat in Głuchołazy from the 14th century to the 19th century. In the introduction, a description of the alderman’s building... more
The article presents a model process of rescuing a historic object important for the cultural heritage of Silesia. The process under discussion includes a presentation of the history of the establishment and transformation of the Abbey of... more
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