Archaeology of the Military Orders: A survey of the urban centres, rural settlement and castles of the Military Orders in the Latin East (c. 1120-1291)

Archaeological research of the Military Orders in the East is inseparable from the general study of archaeology of the Crusader period. The urban centres of the Orders were amongst the most important institutions in Crusader cities and their remains include some of the principal surviving examples of twelfth- and thirteenth-century urban architecture in the Latin East. The castles of the Military Orders include the largest and the most advanced examples of Frankish military architecture. Consequently it is impossible to discuss the Crusader city or military architecture of the period without considering the Military Orders. The aim of this book is to provide a survey of the extensive archaeological research relating to the Military Orders to accompany the growing body of historical studies dealing with the subject. Nearly a century and a half of excavation and survey has brought to light numerous sites and finds relating to the Military Orders, and in recent years, particularly within the last two decades, many important discoveries have been made, notable amongst these being the monumental remains exposed by the ongoing excavations of the Hospitaller compound in Acre. However, while there are a great many informative publications on these discoveries scattered amongst archaeological journals, there is no comprehensive work bringing them together in a single volume.