“Between Philo of Byzantium and archaeology”. Virtual reconstruction of the Punic-Hellenistic defensive system of the site of Castillo de Doña Blanca (El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz, Spain)
Submitted: 2024-10-04
|Accepted: 2025-01-07
|Published: 2025-02-04
Copyright (c) 2025 Virtual Archaeology Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Keywords:
poliorcetic, virtual archaeology, fortifications, digital photogrammetry, 3D modelling
Supporting agencies:
Universidad de Cádiz
Abstract:
This study presents the virtual reconstruction of the Punic-Hellenistic defensive system of Doña Blanca Castle (CBD) through the use of virtual archaeology, which has allowed considerable progress to be made in the understanding of the polyorcetic techniques of this chronology in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. The application of new technologies such as geo-referenced digital photogrammetry and 3D architectural modelling has been key in the detailed documentation of the settlement's defensive structures. This approach has revealed a modular design and planning common to other contemporary fortifications, suggesting a high level of military organisation and strategy in this key settlement during the Second Roman-Carthaginian War.
The main contribution of this study is the reconstructive hypothesis of the defensive system of the CBD, which has improved the understanding of Punic-Hellenistic fortification in the Iberian Peninsula. Thanks to this analysis, common planning patterns have been identified in this type of military construction, revealing a modular design and functionality in the defensive organisation. Among the most outstanding elements of this reconstruction is the finding of the existence of postern gate, i.e. openings that would have been used to allow the exit or entry of defensive troops, thus carrying out an active defence of the fortification. This characteristic reinforces the idea of strategic military planning, where each component of the defensive system was aimed at improving the site's protection capacity in a war context. The linking of the overall structure of the fortification with the artillery torsion machines typical of the period has also been a revealing perspective, as it shows that the builders were not only thinking of passive defences (walls and towers), but also of the active use of advanced military devices for the defence of the settlement.
Another crucial aspect of the study is the use of classical sources, such as the writings of Philo of Byzantium, which have been instrumental in the development of reconstructive hypotheses. Ancient treatises offer a valuable perspective that helps to guide the interpretation of archaeological finds, providing a theoretical framework for understanding how these defensive systems were organised and functioned in Antiquity. Philo of Byzantium, in particular, was an expert in fortifications and poliorcetic, and his descriptions of artillery machines and fortification elements have allowed comparison of the structures exhumed in the CBD with other fortifications of the same period.
The virtual reconstruction and detailed analysis of the defensive system of the CBD has been possible thanks to the implementation of virtual archaeology, which has allowed us to generate our own methodology and workflow. The analysis, study and dissemination of the results have improved the transfer of knowledge to the specialised public and society in general. Virtual archaeology, despite its youth in the academic world, has become an essential discipline for promoting research and scientific traceability in the virtual reconstructions carried out to date. Although its theoretical postulates are somewhat outdated, due to the constant advance of technologies and the traditional conservative perspective of current studies on history or archaeology, carrying out this type of specific work promotes the dynamisation of the discipline. The implementation of the whole theoretical-practical corpus, from the theory itself to the tools and protocols developed in the last decade, has made clear the substantial differences in the current situation of the discipline, which will have to be addressed in the future, in specific forums for debate.
Despite the significant advances achieved through virtual archaeology and comparative analysis with classical sources, the study underlines the importance of further research. Further documentation of the site is needed, as well as a general research plan for this major protohistoric site. The comparison of the CBD with other archaeological sites enriches our knowledge of Punic poliorcetic in general, and of the military development of these settlements in the historical developments of the time. Specific analyses in this regard can provide a broader historical context and an overview of the different sites located in the south of the peninsula, thus improving the understanding of the strategic role of these fortifications, in the Bay of Cadiz in particular, during the Second Roman-Carthaginian War.
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