Earth in historical fortifications. Pedro de lucuze’s method

Abstract

After the emergence of gunpowder in 1379 and later invention of cannons, the ancient fortifications were easy to be conquered, so a new system of defence was needed. It started by building lower walls with an impact-absorbing material, where visual rays were studied to avoid blind spots. Then, traces and geometry were used to trace the new fortification models, creating and improving numerous shapes for different defensive batteries, as ravelins or hornworks… with cheap, weatherproof and easy-built materials. This new philosophy was studied in the mathematics academies of the 17th and 18th centuries, in which each author and teacher developed different solutions. Pedro de Lucuze was the manager of the Real Academia de Matemáticas y Fortificación and developed a teaching method applying earth-rammed technics. © 2018 Taylor & Francis Group, London.