Medieval castles timeline?

Question

Medieval castles timeline?

Answer 1

A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. The term has a history of scholarly debate surrounding its exact meaning, but it is usually regarded as being distinct from the general terms fort or fortress in that it describes a building which serves as a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territory.

Roman forts and hill forts were the main antecedents of castles in Europe, which emerged in the 9th century in Carolingian France. The advent of cannon and gunpowder changed the needs of warfare in Europe, limiting the effectiveness of the castle and leading to the rise of the fort. A castle was not only a bastion and place for detention of prisoners but also a social place where a knight or lord could entertain his peers.

Over time the aesthetics of the design increased in importance, as the appearance and size began to reflect the prestige and power of the occupant. Castles were built as defensive measures and offensive weapons, but often over time comfortable homes evolved within the fortified walls. The earliest recorded structures universally acknowledged by historians as 'castles' were built in the late 9th century, and included wood, earth and stone structures.

Read more about the castle evolution at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle