Artifacts from Teutonic Knights' fortress in the Galilee

Angela

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See:
http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.763930

"In June 1271, Sultan Baibars was busily expanding the Mamluk empire. Among his campaigns, led from Egypt, he brought a vast army to lay siege to the remote Teutonic castle in the western foothills of the Galilee."

"Under a shower of projectiles hurled from trebuchets, the Crusader defenders held out for 15 days before surrendering. Now excavations headed by University of Haifa's Prof. Adrian J. Boas reveal how life looked inside the Crusader castle some 800 years ago, in the 13th century C.E.
Finds inside the castle this year include fragments of chain mail, scale armor, and arrowheads, as well as 13th-century coins, a large quantity of glass vessels, and iron slag from a forge.
The Crusaders had time for leisure: the archaeologists also found a game board of Nine Man’s Morris, game pieces, as well as a workshop to make buttons, crossbow nuts and other objects from bone. And among the things that evidently never change is the European appetite for pork. The archaeologists discovered bones from domestic European-type pigs inside the castle, as well as remains from turtles, deer, sheep and cattle."

"Montfort was the principal castle of the military Teutonic Order, which was founded in the late 12th century in the port city of Acre, and still exists to this day. Its founders were German knights from Lubeck and Bremen who had participated in the Crusader army of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (1155- 1190: he drowned to death in today's Turkey).
Following Barbarossa's demise, most of his army dispersed. But two groups of the Teutonic knights forged on and joined the forces of Guy of Lusignan in besieging Acre in 1190-91 C.E. They set up a field hospital, using sails from ships to make tents, and when the city was taken, on July 12, 1191, Richard the Lionheart, King of England, rewarded them with land in Acre's east for the establishment of a permanent hospital."

"That the Teutonic order poured money into building Montfort Castle is evident by the rich trappings such as gilded furnishings, stained glass windows, frescoed walls and beautiful sculptural decorations. Two large structures at the castle feature huge ashlar blocks, some of which are up to 3 meters in length.
Although Sultan Baibars had a somewhat brutal reputation, after conquering Monfort, he spared its garrison. The knights were escorted safely back to Acre, with their archive. Shortly after, however, the sultan had the castle destroyed."

There are some nice pictures if you follow the link.
 
Apart from their cruel legacy they left on their route through Near East and Europe, though probably not more cruel than their contemporaries, one need to admire their organizational and building skills. By 14 hundreds they had build the biggest castle and complex in Europe. Entirely made of new technology they brought to Prussia, red bricks and mortar, and clay tiles on the roof. And of course, slave work of Prussian labour.
1920px-Marienburg_2004_Panorama.jpg
 
Glad those Crusader losers had their castle destroyed. I read some really disturbing facts about them which I refuse to share here.
 
The medieval slave traders one of the biggest businesses of it's time.Really nothing surprising that the Mameluks spared their partners lifes.
"European" slaves right.
Between Genoese,Venetians and Golden horde(Mameluks, Ilkhanates and finally Ottomans) many were selled as cattle in the Orient.Of course there was wars between Golden horde themselves,as well the every other involved side,trade of commerce,Eastern Mediteranean.
We probably even imported the Black death with this trade Kaffa Crimea.
Mamluks, Franks and Mongols: An Impossible but Necessary Triangle

Fourth crusade and liberations comes to mind and every similar.
 
It was a brutal time, and there were atrocities committed by both sides, although I agree that the behavior of the Crusaders made a mockery of the Christianity they supposedly professed.

Frederick II Hohenstaufen, Holy Roman Emperor, whose reluctance to actually go on Crusade was obvious to his contemporaries, actually managed to negotiate the return of Jerusalem and territory providing access for it to pilgrims, the ostensible purpose of the Crusades, and all without bloodshed, and for his pains he was vilified.

"Whilst Frederick's seeming bloodless recovery of Jerusalem for the cross brought him great prestige in some European circles, his decision to complete the crusade while excommunicated provoked Church hostility. Although in 1230 the Pope lifted Frederick's excommunication at the Treaty of Ceprano, this decision was taken for a variety of reasons related to the political situation in Europe. Of Frederick's crusade, Philip of Novara, a chronicler of the period, said "The emperor left Acre [after the conclusion of the truce]; hated, cursed, and vilified."[14] Overall this crusade, arguably the first successful one since the First Crusade, was adversely affected by the manner in which Frederick carried out negotiations without the support of the church."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor#The_Fifth_Crusade_and_early_policies_in_northern_Italy

In the prior Crusades, Richard the Lionheart did not cut the figure I had expected given my adolescent reading of Ivanhoe. :) Saladin actually comes out much better, imo.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England

Btw, there's a really good BBC series on him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEW1Ofs7-_Q

From my study of the Crusades and him at university and subsequent reading, I think it's pretty accurate. During his own time, his European contemporaries saw him as brutal. The romanticization of him took place after his death.

I'm also still very fond of the movie of Henry and Eleanor of Aquitaine and their children, including Richard, in "Lion in Winter". It starred Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn, and Anthony Hopkins as Richard. Every other line in the movie is quotable and memorable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_England
 
Apart from their cruel legacy they left on their route through Near East and Europe, though probably not more cruel than their contemporaries, one need to admire their organizational and building skills. By 14 hundreds they had build the biggest castle and complex in Europe. Entirely made of new technology they brought to Prussia, red bricks and mortar, and clay tiles on the roof. And of course, slave work of Prussian labour.
1920px-Marienburg_2004_Panorama.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0G-Ac4YyuI

Try to view the full Dan Snow on this castle on how it was built and the history of the teutonics there
 

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