History of Warfare157 Beacons and Military Communication from Antiquity to the Early Modern Period

A groundbreaking study of beacons and military signalling across centuries, revealing how landscapes, communication, and local communities shaped the practice of war from ancient Greece to Viking Age Scandinavia and beyond. From fire-lit beacons to sweeping lines of sight, this book uncovers the hidden infrastructure of pre-modern warfare. It is the first archaeological study to trace how military signalling systems shaped landscapes and societies from antiquity to the early modern period. Spanning ancient Greece, Viking Age Scandinavia, and medieval North Africa, the book investigates how visual communication enabled mobilisation, defence, and control. Through case studies and new interpretations of archaeological and historical data, it reveals a world where ordinary people, not just armies, played a central role in responding to the threat of war. A major contribution to military and landscape archaeology. Contributors are Jørgen Bakke, Alexandre Ausonius Bertaud, Stuart Brookes, Tiffany Earley-Spadoni, Martin Malcolm Elbl, Andreu Galera Pedrosa, Frode Iversen†, Andrew Johnson, Christian Juel, Thorsten Lemm, Lucas R. McMahon, Mette Stauersbøl Mogensen, Marie Ødegaard, Ainhoa Pancorbo Picó, Mads Ravn, Mads Runge, Andreas Thiel, and Joey L. Williams.