Forts on frontiers facing 'βάρβαροι' et al.

Late Antique and Byzantine Archaeology and Art Seminar

New Seminar Room, St. John’s College, University of Oxford

Thursday 28th May 2015

Forts on frontiers facing 'βάρβαροι' and self-styled Islamic State et al.

Christopher Lillington-Martin([email protected])

1

1. Self-styled ISIS/ISIL/Da’ish et al.

2. Locations of fortifications: Santillán,

Can Blai, Dara, Mindouos & Detvin Tepe.

3. Typology of late Roman fortlets from Syria, via North Africa, to Spain (Can Blai and Santillán)

Forts on frontiers facing 'βάρβαροι' and self-styled Islamic State et al.

2

3

1. Self-styled ISIS/ISIL/Da’ish et al.

Many forces are putting forts and other heritage sites at risk, Palmyra fell into their hands last week (21 May 2015) but yesterday it was reported by ‘The Guardian’ (27 May 2015) that the city’s ancient architectural heritage will be left intact by IS (although statues will be destroyed). IS have seized a nearby airport and oil field which are of greater military and economic interest, whereas destroying heritage would take up time when IS has military priorities. However, the Syrian air-force seems to have bombed Palmyra in recent days. In addition, the Saudi air-force has destroyed the city of Dahmar and its museum of pre-Islamic antiquities in Yemen (‘Fars News’, 26 May 2015). The US, UK and other air forces are bombing IS and may be damaging heritage in the process. Many other armed groups are active throughout the Middle East and North Africa, where heritage is at risk. Forts are likely to be effected as they are in strategic locations which are likely to be reused for military purposes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2960463/The-terrifying-rise-ISIS-Map-shows-terror-group-s-tentacles-reach-Algeria-Afghanistan.html

(2 March 2015)

Bernardino Leon, UN Special Envoy for Libya (previously EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean), “Da’ish are very active in Sirte and Tripoli…destroyed House of Representatives, in Tobruk” (27 May 2015, Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford Uni.)

4

1. Self-styled ISIS/ISIL/Da’ish et al.

5

Fortifications at risk from C21st conflict

By Haghal Jagul, via commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Syria_and_Iraq_2014-onward_War_map.png (26 May 2015)

Map of Syrian Civil War and the Iraqi insurgency x Dara

x Tadmor/Palmyra

Ramadi x

x Ar Raqqah/Callinicumx Resafa/Sergioplois

6

x Dara

7

Palmyra

Adapted by adding Palmyra and Ramadi

8

9

x xx

10

2. Locations of fortifications: Santillán, Can Blai, Dara, Mindouos & Detvin Tepe.

castella in:

• The East

• The Balkans (cf. B.Borisov, ‘Dyadovo’, Varna 2010)

• North Africa

• The Balearics

• Southern Spain

Fortified positions need• a water supply• a strategic location• to be defendable • building materials

11

12

Detvin Tepe

C20th-21st mined border

C4th -6th frontier

13

DT4 km

Mindouos

Procopius, Wars, 1.10.13-14The Emperor Anastasius… built a city in a place called Daras, exceedingly strong and of real importance, bearing the name of the emperor himself. Now this place is distant from the city of Nisibis one hundred stades lacking two, and from the boundary line which divides the Romans from the Persians about twenty-eight.(= 4 Roman miles or 6 km)

Procopius, Wars, 1.13.2Justinian commanded Belisarius to build a fortress in a place called Mindouos, which is over against the very boundary of Persia, on the left as one goes to Nisibis.(= approximately 6 km from Dara)

14

https://www.academia.edu/1175514/Roman_Persian_frontier_fortlet_Mindouos_

15

chrislm @ hotm ail.com 4

Dara

NisibisAm m odios

6 km = 28 stades

Dara – M indouos area – Nisibis

Am bar

M odern frontier

Ancientfrontier?

M indouos?

ROM E

PERSIA

Lines of sight

Image altitude 1.72 km: quarries west of Dara, 255 m scale

Kasriahmethayro

Altitude 1.75 km: Kasriahmethayro, quarries to its north-east and small site to its SE, 280 m scale.

Dara

16

Kasriahmethayro

Two quarries within 225m of Kasriahmethayro and 700m of site of small site(author’s images upon Google Earth screenshot). 17

Kasriahm ethayro and quarries

18

Procopius, Wars, 1.13.3-8[Belisarius} accordingly with great haste began to carry out the decision of the emperor, and the fort was already rising to a considerable height by reason of the great number of artisans. But the Persians forbade them to build any further, threatening that, not with words alone but also with deeds, they would at no distant time obstruct the work. When the emperor heard this, inasmuch as Belisarius was not able to beat off the Persians from the place with the army he had, he ordered another army to go thither, and also Coutzes and Bouzes, who at that time commanded the soldiers in Libanus. These two were brothers from Thrace, both young and inclined to be rash in engaging with the enemy. So both armies were gathered together and came in full force to the scene of the building operations, the Persians in order to hinder the work with all their power, and the Romans to defend the labourers. And a fierce battle took place in which the Romans were defeated, and there was a great slaughter of them, while some also were made captive by the enemy. Among these was Coutzes himself. All these captives the Persians led away to their own country, and, putting them in chains, confined them permanently in a cave; as for the fort, since no one defended it any longer, they razed what had been built to the ground.

19

Small site 700 m SE of quarries and 6 km SE of Dara (37° 8'09.56"N, 41° 0'18.25"E), vertical and oblique views and sketch (29 November 2009).

20

26 m

19 m

33 m

Small site 700 m SE of quarries and 6 km SE of Dara (37° 8'09.56"N, 41° 0'18.25"E), vertical and oblique views and sketch (29 November 2009).

north wall foundation. south wall corner block in situ

Dr Deniz Beyazit and limestone slabs (NB) in the triangular field outside site

21

22

3. Typology of late Roman fortlets from Syria, via North Africa, to Spain

(Can Blai and Santillán).

Resafa to Callinicum with location of Tetrapyrgium (Qusair as-Saila).

Qusair as-Saila. Section XXVII. Plan of foundation for tower base.[1]

Qusair as-Saila. Section XXVII. Image of mortar free tower base foundation from the east.[2][1] Konrad (2001) 46, figure 29.

[2] Konrad (2001) plate 60.23

Sketch map of Palaestina Salutaris showing fort locations ofRujm el-Faridiyyeh and Upper Zohar and (on the Via Nova Traiana).[1]

Rujm el-Faridiyyeh, Al-Kerak, Jordan , Via Nova Traiana. C.30x30m, without corner towers. 70 m to its west a tower protects a spring with another tower 1 km to the north which is 6 m wide.[2] Perhaps a castellum structure at Kasriahmethayro and smaller pyrgus were constructed like Rujm el-Faridiyyeh and its two towers.

Rujm el-Faridiyyeh, Al-Kerak, Jordan

– oblique view

north andits plan.

24

Plans of ‘En Boqeq (A) and Upper Zohar (B), with cistern (c).[5]

Upper Zohar fort from the south-east after excavation (Derrick Riley).[6]

[1] Harper (1995) 117, Figure 1.[2] Kennedy and Riley (1990) 86-89.[3] Harper (1995) 15-21.[4] Kennedy and Riley (1990) 202-203.[5] Pringle (1998) 204 and 205.[6] Harper (1995) Plate 2.

‘En Boqeq and Upper Zohar are c. 19 x 18 m and have internal rooms along walls. Both have corner towers. Upper Zohar shards and coins date: C5 – C6[3] There is evidence of repair and reconstruction in the sixth.[4]

25

North African forts

26

North African forts (Kaldellis, 2014: xxix)

27

. Limisia

Limisia fort images (9°42’ E 36°02’ N Google Earth) and plan, after Belkhodja.[1][1] Ibid. 565, Fig. 16.

North African forts

Goodchild, Libyan Studies (1976)28

Agbia fort images (9°14’ E 36°23’ N, Google Earth) and plan after Diehl, 1896.[1]

[1] Pringle (1981). 565, Fig. 16.

29

castella typologies

Cau et al, 2005: 227-9

30

Can Blai, Formentera (NB stone slabs)(Google Earth and http://www.guiaformentera.com/images/castellum.jpg).

31

Teaser. Can Blai. A Late Roman fortlethttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTckQ62I4zc&feature=youtu.be

Relative distances between coastsand castella.

NB the castellum of Santillán (Mollina) is:

50 km from Malaga (554 Justinian)80 km from Cordoba (independent)100 km from Sevilla }240 km from Merida } (Visigodos)290 km from Toledo }

It seems relatively southerly and near Málaga (contra Vizcaíno Sánchez, 2009: 426-8)•

32

castellum de Santillan: 3 km N of Mollina, 50 km N of Malaga.

Red: Malaga, Cordoba &Seville. possible Justinianic sites and the Islamic ‘Torre de Don Lucas’ .

Malaca, Anticaria, Italica (near Seville) and the Roman road system,http://pelagios.dme.ait.ac.at/maps/greco-roman/.

33

castellum de Santillan: 3 km N of Mollina, 50 km N of Malaga.

Google maps: terrain, modern roads, Antequera, Mollina, the Humilladero range and the Camorra range (our castellum lies near the water course 3.5 km NW of Mollina, indicated by a red square ).

Google maps: terrain, modern roads, Malaga, Antequera, Cordoba and Seville (our castellum is indicated by a red square).

34

Spania: castellum de Santillan: 3.5 km N deMollina, 50 km N de Malaga.

The castellum of Santillán: NW-E. Corner towers all filled with spolia and 3 m2. The walls are 25 m long. The east wall stands c. 2m high.

35

In 2014 Can Blai was dated to c. 300 – so North African typology invalid – increases likelihood of Santillan being pre-C6th.

castellum de Santillan: 3 km N of Mollina, 50 km N of Malaga.

Google Earth: the fort amongst olive-trees 3.5 km NW of Mollina (at 37° 8'51.94"N 4°40'54.79"W) and its plan (Puertas Tricas, 1986).

36

Vizcaino Sánchez emphasises Santillán’s (Mollina) location as ‘northern’ and therefore concludes that the fort, if constructed in the sixth century, is more likely to be Visigothic than ‘imperial’ or Romano-Byzantine (Vizcaino, 2009: 426-8).Alternative interpretation based on its strategic location with broader implications. Precise strategic location of the castellum de Santillán: 3.5 km north-west of Mollina beside the Roman road and it controls a rare water source. The ancient road ran northwards from Malaga to Antequera, past Mollina, then past the fort, and continued westwards towards Seville (so slightly north of, but parallel with, the modern road). The fort is c. 140m from the ancient route to Seville, within archery and artillery range. It is situated on a slight rise in the landscape, c.5m above road level, and so the walls/towers would only need to have exceeded 3m in height in order to command a view of the road. The fort controlled the plain between the Humilladero range 5 km to the south and the Camorra range 2 km to the north. It is 18 km north-west of and protects Antikaria (Antequera). Perhaps most importantly, it lies 10 km west of, and conceivably protected, the obvious route from Hispalis (Seville) to the road connecting Cordoba to Malaga, comparatively near the latter city, controlled by Justinian from 552 or 554. Visigothic Seville lies a further 100 km west whereas Merida and Toledo are approximately c.240-90 km to the north. However, the fort is only 55 km north of Malaga (relatively southerly) and 80 km south of Cordoba. So perhaps less likely to have been Visigothic as far from support and therefore vulnerable to attack. Moreover, its strategic location protected the north-south road from any advance from the west (Seville). This may support a late antique, perhaps sixth century date of re-use, as the relative distances from significant cities could suggest an association with Romano-Byzantine Malaga or indeed the semi-independent city of Cordoba. The latter probably made an alliance with Justinian and therefore the fort, if occupied in the sixth century, would seem to be less likely to have been controlled by the Visigoths than the (eastern) Romans, perhaps with the purpose of safeguarding the Malaga-Cordoba road from any hostile approach from Seville.

37

Thank you!

38