T. E. Lawrence’s Undergraduate Dissertation – Page 140

to dig out a ditch, and line the mound inside with a palisade: for one thing there was no wood, and for another no earth. The chipping out of a moat like that of Saone in a basalt cliff demanded careful consideration, and unlimited leisure and the lack of this time and means persuaded the Latins, as might have been expected, to take over and utilise so far as possible existing Greek fortresses. In course of time, they put up imitations of Byzantine enceintes simply through force of custom: but it is evident that there was no rapid, complete abandonment of Western principles in fortification. The Normans and Provencals thought their keeps better than anything the Greeks could offer. The general agreement seems to be that the square keeps in the East were built before the middle of the twelfth century. This date would suit fairly well with most of them. In Europe of course the form continued in favour a few years longer (though probably the number new-built decreased rapidly each year after 1160), but in Syria only Safita and Giblet appear to be as late : - Giblet from its portcullis, and Safita from the piers and arches of its upper hall (XLV) On the other hand there is at present very little known about the development of Latin Architecture in the East, so that a building which in France would be thirteenth century, might be twelfth century in Syria: and the mouldings and forms of the work at Safita are so plain that deductions from them