The First Excavation Season: August-September, 2011: The Great Hall

In the summer of 2011 a four-week season of excavations was conducted in what had apparently been the ceremonial hall of the castle. The Great Hall was located in a three-storey structure at the western end of the castle where, in addition to the slopes to the north and south, the spur dropped steeply to the west. The entire structure, including a twelve metre high supporting wall on the south, rose to probably well over 30 m in height. It contained cellars on the lowest level, the ceremonial hall on the middle level, and domestic apartments above, probably the living quarters of the castellan and, when he was resident, the Hochmeister (Grand Master).

The basement, which also served as a platform or podium for the hall, was formed of two parallel, pointed barrel vaults. The easternmost of these vaults was excavated in 1926, but the western vault was not excavated at the time because of its ruinous state. The aim of our excavations in the Great Hall was to examine the collapsed vaulting and architectural elements and to expose, if it survived, the original floor on the eastern side of the hall. Excavation of the buried remains was expected to enable a better understanding of the architecture and to provide evidence substantiating the existence of the storey above the hall. In additional it was hoped that it would throw light on the purpose of a partition wall extending east from the central octagonal pier, a small section of which could be observed in a photograph in 1926.

During the excavations a large number of finely cut, limestone vault ribs were found. These were mostly quite large, measuring 62 by 52 cm and their height varies between 20 and 44 cm, but there were also several smaller ribs measuring 33/37.5 by 26 cm and 23-30 cm high. Two decorated keystones (one large and one small) were found in 1926 in the basement (chamber K). Many of the stones display masons' marks, including a fine example in the form of a bow drill, crossbow or anchor. Several of the smaller ribs display remnants of mustard-coloured paint. A quantity of large fragments of grey plaster were recovered in the debris in the hall, probably originating in the vaulting, and fragments of pale buff coloured plaster set with small to medium-sized river pebbles, were apparently fragments of the floor of the upper storey chambers.

The removal of the debris entirely exposed two large pilasters on the eastern wall, identical to the free-standing octagonal pier at the centre of the hall. One at the centre of the eastern wall, a half-octagon, was constructed blocking of a former doorway. The second pilaster, a quarter-octagon, is at the south-east corner of the hall. In addition to the collapsed material, the pilasters and the remains of the floor of the hall, we uncovered the continuation of the partition wall extending east from the central pier. It is a broad wall (width 1.2 m), built without mortar, constructed of large, roughly shaped fieldstones, stone chips and terra rossa and preserved to a height of five courses, roughly 2 m.  The much-damaged floor of the hall consists of a stone foundation covered with a layer of white plaster, most of which is missing. On this floor below the debris were a few concentrations of charcoal and by one of these, to the north of were the remains of a 13th century, glazed cooking pot and a large number of bones, mainly of domesticated European pig.

The excavations have answered some important architectural issues and have thrown light on the appearance and function of this part of the castle and on events in the final years of Montfort prior to its destruction. Firstly, it now is clearly established that this wing of the castle consisted of three stories. The finds have enabled us to reconstruct the architecture of the missing upper storey. Secondly, the partition wall, which was constructed on the already destroyed floor of the hall and onto the already damaged central pilaster on the east wall is, as understood by the presence of the pig bones, securely dated to before the destruction of the castle in 1271, but after what would appear to be a catastrophic event that caused major damage to the structure and probably to the entire castle. This may have been either an earthquake that occurred in 1259 or alternatively and more likely,  the first siege by the Mamluk army that took place in 1266.

The Second Season: The Outer Fortifications and Outer Ward

During April, 2012, a four-week season of excavations was conducted adjacent to the castle’s outer fortification wall, which extends from the keep down the north slope and around the northern and western sides of the castle. This wall has only been cursorily examined in the past and has never been excavated. It appears to have been constructed in stages and in places preserved to its full original height. The aim was to commence on a series of excavations aimed at examining the wall and its features and to expose and study the rooms built adjacent to the interior of the outer wall. These rooms which constituted the outer ward of the castle, made use of the outer wall and an interior wall constructed parallel to it. They were subdivided by internal walls and roofed with a flat roof supported by wooden beams on corbels. The excavations aimed at identifying the function of the rooms and examining a point where two sections of the wall do not quite join – one, turning east and the other, continuing south, the latter being considerably higher (at least 5 m) than the former, and also broader and better constructed. A square was opened at the point where they meet. At a depth of c. 0.5–0.7 m a stone floor, L. 009, was exposed which abutted the higher wall. The fill above the floor contained burnt beams, nails and arrowheads. Consequently, we concluded that the use of this room dated up to the destruction of the castle in July 1271. Some thirteenth century pottery was found, as well as two coins: one of Hugh IV of Burgundy (1218–1253) and the other of Conradin, King of Sicily (1254–1258), a large number of construction nails and small horseshoe nails. A section of the floor along the length of the square was dismantled and excavation continued until, at a depth of c. 40 cm below the floor, a second packed white plaster floor was reached. Two coins were found in the sealed fill between the two floors, one, from Chartres, of Theobald VI (1205–1218 CE) and the other of Henry I of Cyprus (1218–1253 CE, but most likely after the reform of 1230 CE). These did not greatly refine the dating of the upper floor which apparently was not installed before 1230 (but that is only a few years after the first construction at the castle, c. 1226 CE). On the lower floor additional thirteenth century pottery was found, as well as nails, and many bones, several of which appear to be cattle bones, but scattered and probably the remains of meals.

Analysis of the architectural finds has led us to the following scenario. The lower wall (WB1) is the earlier of the two fortification walls. The plaster floor belongs to this early phase. It would appear that, probably due to a partial collapse of this wall, a new wall (WB2), was constructed, more massive, considerably taller and of better construction. Apparently, it was for this reason that it could not be built on the same line as the older wall.

Another square was opened within a small room or booth located directly opposite the gate on WB1. This booth, possibly a guardhouse for the gate.

The Third and Fourth Seasons: The North Wall of the Central Wing

In August-September, 2012, a four-week season of excavations was devoted to clearing the westernmost section of the north wall of the domestic wing (Area C) close to the high dividing wall which separates the domestic wing from the administrative wing to its west. Excavations in 2012 extended eastward some 16 metres, to just beyond a gateway in the wall. In August, 2013 work extended along most of the length of the north wall. This wall was well-built, 2.3 to 2.4 m thick. Our excavations exposed the base of the wall and all of the previously unrecorded pilasters on its interior (showing clearly that all the length of the structure had been vaulted). We also exposed evidence of undermining of the wall, apparently the work of the Mamluks during the siege of 1271 or during the dismantling that followed it.