Case Study: Roman Castra and American Quonset

Introduction

This case study examines two types of structures: the Roman Castra and the American Quonset Hut. These are systems of fabrication rather than individual structures. They were designed for reproduction. These structures supported armies which were highly mobile. One was at the scale of the camp, one was at the scale of the hut or dwelling. One contained an army, the other, up to ten soldiers.

Castra at Masada; The Story:
The romans built eight castra around Masada, the last stronghold of the Jewish rebels, and laid siege f

or months.¹ The story of the last moments of the Jewish rebels was recounted by Joseph Flavius, who explains that the leaders gave a speech indicating that it would be better for the remaining Jews to kill themselves, rather than endure the humiliation of being taken as slaves by the Romans:

"Then, having chosen by lots of ten their number to dispatch the rest, they laid themselves down each beside his prostrate wife and children, and, flinging their arms around them, offered their throats in readiness for the executants of the melancholy office. [...] The had died in the belief that they had left not a soul alive to fall into Roman hands; The Romans advanced to the assault...seeing none of the enemy but on a

ll sides an awful solitude, and flames within and silence, they were at a loss to conjecture what had happened[.]"2

Notes

1. "Masada National Park." http://www.parks.org.il/BuildaGate5/portals/parks/imagesFILES/Advanced1118904599.pdf (accessed January 5, 2010).

2. Ibid.