Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
ences, and the outermost stretching down to the Bay and having merchants and craftsmen
livingwithinthem.Thepurposeoftheouterditcheswasnotmuchmorethantoslowdown
anattackerbymakinghimuseexistingbridgesandthushamperhisfreedomofmovement.
(11)MoatofOsakaCastle.Thisviewclearlyshowstheprofileoftheouterwall.TheCastle
was built by Hideyoshi.
The castle itself was normally raised on a mound, artificial or otherwise, which was
revetted with stonework, the individual pieces being often of very large size and set deep
intothesoil.Theserevetmentshaveacharacteristiccurvedcontour,acombinationofslope
at the bottom to maintain stability and near-verticality at the top to deter attackers from
climbing up(
11
).Manycastles tookadvantage ofnatural features toacquire elevation, and
an extreme case of this is Gifu, which occupies a steep hill some hundreds of feet above its
town, the only access in the past being a steep road up the precipitous face.
The revetments were topped by walls of plastered timberwork, with tiled roofs. Access
through gateways was always arranged to have attackers under fire as they approached.
There was a keep, with several floors, once again of timber construction with thick plaster-
filling and heavily barred windows
(
12
).
There were slits and embrasures for arrow and
musket-fire, and often downward facing slits under windows through which missiles could
bedroppedonattackers. Thekeepwascrownedwithgracefultiledroofs,oftenwithgilded
ornaments. The living quarters were not in the keep, but in separate dwellings within the
castle complex.
