| Abstract: |
During the English Civil War (1642-51) fortifications in major cities, such as London, were positioned not only to strategically defend the city, but to monitor and suppress the movements of the population inside. This dissertation examines whether this situation occurred in Gloucester, attempting to determine its main role - strategic or suppression? Fortifications, whatever their design, are primarily examined through their strategic capabilities. This dissertation continues this traditional approach, however expands using the multi-disciplinary approach of Landscape Archaeology, in an attempt to understand the full role of a civil war fortification. This dissertation has demonstrated that the primary role of the fortification in Gloucester appears to have been strategic, and that any attempt at suppression is minimalistic. However, the fortification embodies much more than a strategic function, encompassing the social, political and economic world of the inhabitants; it has roles, not one role. This research means that fortifications should not be examined in isolation, but as an integral part of the society that constructed and utilised it. |
