Professor Thomas J. Finan conducts an enthralling series of lectures on a subject that is an enduring part of the popular imagination: the castle. Professor Finan examines the castle from a variety of contemporary perspectives, including those of history, archaeology, geography, and landscape studies. The course also covers the morphology of medieval fortifications and castles and considers the social and landscape natures of castles, as well as the role of the castle in Europe.
Lecture 1 What Is a Castle? Why Study a Castle?
Lecture 2 Earthen and Timber Castles
Lecture 3 Building a Castle
Lecture 4 The Norman Stone Keep
Lecture 5 The Concentric Castle
Lecture 6 The Social Organization of Castles
Lecture 7 The Landscape of Castles
Lecture 8 Sieges
Lecture 9 Castles in the Kingdom of England
Lecture 10 The Castles of Wales
Lecture 11 Castles of Ireland and Scotland
Lecture 12 Castles in France
Lecture 13 Crusader Castles
Lecture 14 The End of Castles