Stratagems, Combat, and "Chemical Warfare" in the Siege Mines of Dura-Europos
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4543282 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Simon James (0000-0002-4002-5099, University of Leicester, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2011 |
| Volume | 115 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 69-101 |
| Publication date | 2011-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9114 • E-ISSN: 1939-828X |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3764/aja.115.1.69 |
| OpenAlex | W4232860200 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 21 |
| References cited | 12 |
The Sasanian Persian siege that destroyed Roman-held Dura-Europos, Syria, ca. 256 C.E. left some of the best evidence ever recovered for the nature and practices of ancient warfare. Perhaps the most dramatic of the archaeological deposits, excavated in the early 1930s, were those resulting from the mining duel around Tower 19 on the city’s western wall, during which at least 19 Roman soldiers and one Sasanian became entombed. Recent reanalysis of the excavation archive suggested that the mine evidence still held one unrecognized deadly secret: the Roman soldiers who perished there had not, as Robert du Mesnil du Buisson (the original excavator) believed, died by the sword or by fire but had been deliberately gassed by the Sasanian attackers. This article discusses the implications of this conclusion for our understanding of early Sasanian military capabilities and reviews the question of possible reexcavation in search of the casualties of Tower 19, whose remains were neither studied nor retained
Ancient history · Archaeology · Chemical warfare · Excavation · Political science · Politics · Reign · Siege · SWORD · Tower · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Archaeological Research and Protection · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Byzantine Studies and History · Engineering · Eurasian Exchange Networks · History · Law · Metallurgy and Cultural Artifacts
Roman Army, Archaeology of
Roman Army, Archaeology of
Dura‐Europos, siege of (256 ce )
The Archaeology of War
Roman Warfare and Military Violence in Late Antiquity
Warfare in the Roman World
Strange Meeting at Salihiyeh
The Ruination of Dura-Europos
The beginnings of Rome's conquest of Hispania
A Study of the Sacrificial Scene of the Julius Terentius Fresco
Memory, Postmemory, and Place in the Synagogues of Roman Syria
Towards a historical bioarchaeology
Examination of Archaeological Attitudes toward the Publication of Unprovenanced Antiquities
Los recintos de fosos calcolíticos de la península ibérica, ¿fueron fortalezas? Análisis de Xancra y El Casetón de la Era desde una perspectiva poliorcética
The Roman siege system of Masada
Tagging sacred space in the Dura-Europos synagogue
The Ancient City of Giddan/Eddana (Anqa, Iraq), the “Forgotten Twin” of Dura-Europos
The Christian Building at Dura-Europos
The Soldiers' Servants
The unpublished manuscript
Greek Fire, Poison Arrows & Scorpion Bombs
Le site de Doura-Europos et son environnement géographique
Rapport sur la sixième campagne de fouilles à Doura-Europos (Syrie)
Compte rendu de la septième campagne de fouilles à Doura-Europos
Science and Civilisation in China
Apamée (1986)
Excavations at Dura-Europos
| Unique citing works | 18 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,5 |
| Citation span | 2012 - 2025 (14) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 21 |