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Location Location played a key role in the effectiveness of a
fortress. Ancient people chose the placement of
fortresses based upon their strategic requirements,
surrounding geography, and available natural resources.
One of the first considerations in choosing a location
to build a fortress was strategic requirement. The idea
was to situate the fortress in the best possible place
to protect and defend one’s territory and people and to
deny the enemy access into the area. Such places were
near borders of one’s territory, near major highways and
passes, around or inside major cities, and near resource
depots.
 After a people determined that
a fortress was necessary within a area, then they had to decide
the best precise geographical location. Several determining
factors include the lay of land and natural resources. Ideally,
the fortress would be located on a precipice—a knoll or a ridge.
A precipice allowed for good observation of enemy movements in
the area and was easier to defend due to natural slopes. Mudaybic
and Akuzeh are located at the end of a spur of a ridge
overlooking an area where the inhabitants expected the enemy to
approach. Both sites have three
slopes that provide natural protection. Mudaybic overlooks the
Fajj al-`Usaykir, a flat valley connecting the desert with the
Moabite Plateau. Akuzeh overlooks the Wadi al-Hasa, the southern
border of the Moabite kingdom.
A strong
fortress required an abundance of natural resources for building
materials, such as a nearby stone outcropping for a quarry. The
builders of Mudaybic used basalt from an ancient lava flow
located on the same hill as the fortress and limestone blocks
quarried from a neighboring hillside. [
Photo]
The volute capitals of Mudaybi<sup>c</sup>
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Last Updated on
10/25/2002 08:49 AM
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