contravallation
Inward-facing siege line
Contravallation is a military fortification—a line of earthworks or walls built by a besieging army facing inward toward the enemy position to prevent sorties and breakout attempts.
The term belongs to siege warfare, where attackers might construct both contravallation (facing in) and circumvallation (facing out, to repel relief forces): Caesar's siege of Alesia featured both contravallation and circumvallation.
Long narrow excavation
- earthworkConstructed soil structure
- palisadeFence of pointed stakes
- redoubtEnclosed temporary fortification
- entrenchmentFortified or fixed position
gabion · sap · approaches · parallels · battery · breastwork · fascine · parapet
Fortified defensive position
- bulwarkDefensive fortification or safeguard
- stockadeFence of sharpened stakes
- barricadeObstacle blocking a path
- strongholdFortified place of defense
fortress · citadel · garrison · outpost · emplacement · blockhouse · keep · battlements
trench
Long narrow excavation
- earthworkConstructed soil structure
- palisadeFence of pointed stakes
- redoubtEnclosed temporary fortification
entrenchment · gabion · sap · approaches · parallels · battery · breastwork · fascine · parapet · moat
bastion
Fortified defensive position
- bulwarkDefensive fortification or safeguard
- stockadeFence of sharpened stakes
- barricadeObstacle blocking a path
stronghold · fortress · citadel · garrison · outpost · emplacement · blockhouse · keep · battlements · palisade
siege
Encirclement forcing surrender
mining · countermining · sortie · sally · breach · storm · catapult · trebuchet · ballista · artillery
- fortificationsfort, fortress, fortresses, citadel, citadels
- Roman fortsfort, fortress, frontier fort, military camp, stone fort
- siegessiege, siege tower, siege engine, siege engines, siege warfare