By: Kiona N. Smith – ARS Technica; arstechnica.com
The finds confirm medieval chroniclers’ reports of defensive works at Jerusalem.
Recent excavations south of Jerusalem unearthed a ditch used to defend against siege towers, along with a ruined house Crusaders may have used as cover during a battle. The finds confirm some oft-questioned details of historical accounts of the First Crusade, including how a ditch along the city’s southern wall thwarted the attacking siege engines. And this new evidence provides tangible links to events recorded 920 years ago.