Historical Glossary

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Casemate Walls = a defensive wall composed of two parallel walls each usually thinner than a solid city-wall; perpendicular walls divide these walls into small “rooms” known as casemates.

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Glacis = the outer facing of an earthen rampart which protects the lower slope of a wall or a mound from erosion, and provides additional defense; the glacis may be made of beaten earth, brick, stone, and often had a plaster coating

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In Situ = Latin, “in position,” used in archaeological contexts to describe an object which is found in its original position

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Offset-inset Walls = a type of defensive wall construction that has alternating sections of the wall set somewhat protruding or somewhat receded from adjacent sections. This type construction produces a stronger wall than a straight-line construction, providing somewhat of a buttressing effect.

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Postern = a back door or gate, a private or side entrance, a secret or obscure way of entrance or escape.

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Rampart = an earthen mound used especially as part of the defense of a town. Often ramparts were built at the base of a wall; in other instances a wall might be built on top of a rampart.

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Secondary use = The reuse of an artifact or architectural feature in a later context, often completely distinct from its primary use. As an example, the stones of an Iron Age horned altar at Beersheba were found in secondary use in a later wall structure of the Hellenistic period.

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Temenos = A sacred area within or close by a town separated by a wall from the rest of the town.

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