Machicolation

A machicolation is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones could be dropped on attackers at the base of a defensive wall. The design was developed in the Middle Ages when the Norman crusaders returned. A machicolated battlement projects outwards from the supporting wall in order to facilitate this.

Keywords

castle, corbel, battlement, middle ages, defensive wall, machicolation, floor opening

Galleries

Military Fortification

Source

The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia (New York, NY: The Century Co., 1889)

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