# If we needed castles again, how would they be built?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-needed-castles-again-how-would-they-be-built/667372>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 28, 2013, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-needed-castles-again-how-would-they-be-built/667372 "2013-08-28T05:04:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-needed-castles-again-how-would-they-be-built/667372/21 "2013-08-29T05:19:39Z")

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> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> If the attackers dig tunnels, & set large fires beneath your foundations, the uneven heating & colling could cause you some nasty problems.
> 
> In all cases, wall should be **rounded** –no sharp corners for siege machines to exploit.
> 
> Re–walls & infantry.
> 
> Imitate the wall system of Constantinople.  
> [Walls of Constantinople - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walls_of_Constantinople#Theodosian_Walls)
> 
> On a smaller scale, of course.

Didn’t you hear what happened to the Theodosian Wall?

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-needed-castles-again-how-would-they-be-built/667372/22 "2013-08-29T08:44:32Z")

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> [@Mosier](#):
>
> Didn’t you hear what happened to the Theodosian Wall?

Yeah–they were damaged by an earthquake.

And withstood many, many attacks on the city.

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**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-needed-castles-again-how-would-they-be-built/667372/23 "2013-08-29T12:32:50Z")

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Mainly underground.

You could have defensive towers and your wall protecting the inner courtyard where, relieved of the need for living space you could have a ground level living roof of crops.

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**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-we-needed-castles-again-how-would-they-be-built/667372/24 "2013-08-29T13:21:31Z")

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> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#):
>
> I imagine that enough basement sub-levels with lots of steel and concrete reinforcement would stymie any medieval sapping attempts.

That was kind of what I was thinking as well- 75-100 foot deep massive reinforced concrete foundations; they could roll up and set fires on it all they want, but they’re not going to do much to 200 tons of reinforced concrete.

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