Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Norman-Era Defensive Tower Unearthed in English Town
Archaeology Magazine ^ | June 11, 2025 | editors / unattributed

Posted on 06/17/2025 7:14:22 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Last year, excavations in Chichester's Priory Park revealed a masonry causeway and bridge that would have once led to the city's Norman-era motte and bailey castle. According to a statement released by the Chichester District Council (CDC), renewed archaeological work at the site has continued to illuminate this period in the city's history. A team recently uncovered the foundations of a stone tower, or barbican, that was built to help defend the Norman castle. It was previously thought that the castle was built solely from timber. The recent discoveries have shown that it was actually a much more substantial structure than previously thought, one built to reinforce the power of a feudal lord. Researchers are still wondering who exactly ordered the construction of such a robust castle, but they suspect it was either the Earl of Arundel in the mid-twelfth century or perhaps even King Henry II (reigned 1154–1189). "It's been a very exciting conclusion," CDC archaeologist James Kenny said. "These sorts of archaeological discoveries do not happen often in a lifetime, and it's certainly the finest piece of medieval architecture that I've ever excavated."

(Excerpt) Read more at archaeology.org ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: chichester; earlofarundel; godsgravesglyphs; henryii; middleages
Chichester & District Archaeology Society
Chichester & District Archaeology Society

1 posted on 06/17/2025 7:14:22 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; 31R1O; ...
Nice group of topics, nothing about the Roman Empire at all. :^) Oh, btw, those are on deck. :^D

2 posted on 06/17/2025 7:15:48 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv
guided by a series of geophysics and ground-penetrating radar scans carried out since 2022

************

Technology like this makes it good to be an archeologist these days. ;)

3 posted on 06/17/2025 7:29:09 AM PDT by Starboard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Phil and Mick would have loved digging that one


4 posted on 06/17/2025 7:40:10 AM PDT by 11th_VA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Very interesting and thanks for posting. More of a basement than a tower.


5 posted on 06/17/2025 8:19:24 AM PDT by KingLudd
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KingLudd

Probably why Norm didn’t see the attack coming. ;^)


6 posted on 06/17/2025 8:29:50 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: 11th_VA

Mick loved his Middle Ages. Phil loves his Neolithic. He’s still around, and has been around long enough to have helped build the tower. :^) Or at least may have dug at the site early in his career.


7 posted on 06/17/2025 8:35:41 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Starboard

LIDAR too — great way to figure out where things are on a large scale, rather than trying to guess or just ignoring whole parts of the Earth’s surface. :^)


8 posted on 06/17/2025 8:36:45 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

BTW, kudos to me, I restrained myself from posting the usual Chichester limerick. Found a new version too...


9 posted on 06/17/2025 8:37:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SunkenCiv

Norm!


10 posted on 06/17/2025 9:41:16 AM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: tumblindice

:^) “What’s shakin’ Mister Peterson?”

The Normans found that what the British now call pubs were in every nook and cranny throughout England, and the locals’ “barking” (when they spoke) was even worse-sounding after they’d been in those for a while. :^)


11 posted on 06/17/2025 11:38:39 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson