Download PDF | Judith Bronstein_ Gil Fishhof_ Vardit Shotten-Hallel - Settlement and Crusade in the Thirteenth Century_ Multidisciplinary Studies of the Latin East-Routledge (2021).
322 Pages
Settlement and Crusade in the Thirteenth Century sheds new light on formerly less explored aspects of the crusading movement and the Latin East during the thirteenth century.
In commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the construction of ‘Atlit Castle, a significant section of this volume is dedicated to the castle, which was one of the most impressive built in the Latin East. Scholarly debate has centred on the reasons behind the construction of the castle, its role in the defence of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the thirteenth century, and its significance for the Templar order.
The studies in this volume shed new light on diverse aspects of the site, including its cemetery and the surveys conducted there. Further chapters examine Cyprus during the thirteenth century, which under the Lusignan dynasty was an important centre of Latin settlement in the East, and a major trade centre. These chapters present new contributions regarding the complex visual culture which developed on the island, the relation between different social groups, and settlement patterns.
Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, this book will be of interest to scholars and students of the medieval period, as well as those interested in the Crusades, archaeology, material culture, and art history.
Gil Fishhof teaches medieval and crusader art history at the University of Haifa. He specialises in French Romanesque art and crusader art.
Judith Bronstein teaches medieval history at the University of Haifa. Her research focuses on the military orders, the Latin East, and modern perceptions of the Crusades.
Vardit R. Shotten-Hallel is an archaeologist at the Archaeological Research Department, Israel Antiquities Authority. Her research focuses on various aspects of architecture in the Middle Ages. She is founder and director of ‘Atlit Castle Project.
Preface
This volume presents the fruits of a conference held at the University of Haifa in early 2018: ‘The Latin East in the 13th Century, Institutions, Settlements, and Material Culture, commemorating the 800th anniversary of the construction of ‘Atlit Castle’. Professor Adrian Boas was our partner in the organising committee of the conference, and we received the support of various departments and programmes at Haifa University, the Israel Antiquities Authority, and the Society for the Study of the Crusades and the Latin East. Over 60 scholars from Europe, America, and Israel presented papers relating to the theme of the conference.
The thirteenth century was a pivotal period in the history of the Latin East, characterised by great achievements alongside great adversities. This period began and terminated with two major disasters: at its beginning, the results of the Battle of Hattin; and towards its end, the fall of Acre and the collapse of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. The need to cope with the devastating consequences of Hattin, to recover and reconstruct the kingdom, while also continuously engaging with its deterioration, resulted in intensive activity in every field, including battle techniques, castle construction, economy, and trade.
The establishment of a Frankish presence and settlement in places like Cyprus (conquered by Richard the Lionheart in 1191 and later passed to the Lusignans) and the Morea (conquered by the Villehardouin family and others), became essential for the survival of the Frankish kingdom.
The present volume sheds light on some previously less explored aspects of the crusader movement and the Latin East in this fascinating period, offering a multidisciplinary approach and focusing on settlement, archaeology, material culture, maritime studies, history, and art history. To achieve its vast purpose, the book has brought together an international team of specialists in their respective fields, offering a wide range of viewpoints, from specific case studies discussing particular sites to the assessments of wider phenomena.
The book is arranged in five thematic sections. Opening the volume, the first section is dedicated to the complex social developments that took place in the Latin Kingdom in the aftermath of the Battle of Hattin, as well as to some of the developments in warfare and camp technologies in the thirteenth century. Heading this section is the contribution by Benjamin Z. Kedar, who presents a broad overview that compares the characteristics of the Second Kingdom of Jerusalem
with those of the First Kingdom, examining such aspects as the rhythm and duration of territorial expansion, demography and the ratio of Franks versus nonFranks, commerce, and the prominence of holy places. The next contribution, by Beatrice Saletti, which sheds light on the Italian presence and activity in Acre, focuses on a specific social phenomenon in the city — the Italian brotherhood of the Holy Spirit, about which very little is known apart from its statutes of 1216.
The next two studies in this section offer innovative discussions of developments in maritime and warfare technologies. The contribution by Rafael Y. Lewis, Nimrod Getzov, and Ianir Milevski turns its attention to land warfare, and seeks to reveal developments in the layout and characteristics of encampments in the Latin East in light of new excavations at the Spring of Saforie; while the contribution by Pierre- Vincent Claverie focuses on naval warfare and engages with developments in both naval siege warfare and maritime logistics in the thirteenth century.
In commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the construction of ‘Atlit Castle, the next section is dedicated to the castle itself, which was one of the most magnificent built in the Latin East. Scholarly discussion has debated the reasons behind its construction, its role in the defence of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in the thirteenth century, its significance for the Templar order, for pilgrimage and more. The studies in this section shed new light on diverse aspects of the site, such as practices of incarceration in the castle and the surveys conducted there.
Helen J. Nicholson opens the section with an overview of the history of the castle, examining a vast range of sources regarding its construction and span of activity, including contemporaneous letters, commentaries, histories, pilgrims’ accounts, and Templar regulations. Vardit R. Shotten-Hallel then analyses the various historical testimonies for the construction of the castle, and discusses them in detail, particularly the discrepancies between them. They are examined in light of the archaeological surveys and findings.
The next contribution, by Yvonne Friedman, focuses on incarceration in the thirteenth century and underlines the function of ‘Atlit Castle as a central prison for the Templar order. The contribution by Yves Gleize concludes this section with a discussion of new archaeological data on the medieval cemetery of ‘Atlit.
The third section of the volume is dedicated to Cyprus, which in the thirteenth century, under the Lusignan dynasty, was an important centre of Latin settlement in the East and a major trade centre. The chapters in this section present new contributions to questions regarding the complex visual culture that developed on the island and its settlement patterns.
The first contribution, by Michalis Olympios, provides a broad-scale analytic overview of the art-historical developments on the island in the thirteenth century, concentrating on the history of thirteenth-century Gothic architecture in Cyprus in particular, and within the Latin East in general. In doing so, Olympios rejects earlier Francocentric assessments of the emergence of the Gothic in the eastern Mediterranean, suggesting instead a historiographical model that stresses the reception and adaptation of the Gothic style at both the regional and the local levels.
The next three studies in this section turn their attention to specific places, individuals, and phenomena, which in turn demonstrate the complexities of life
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