Family genetics can often be really strong, which is why you might notice that a child has their parents’ features or that two siblings look alike. Even if you go a few generations back, you might see signs of your features in your ancestor.

This person overlapped their profile with their great-great-great-great grandmother’s whose picture was taken back in the 19th century. It looks like the pair still look a lot alike, even centuries apart!

Today, it’s easy to share pictures of yourself with your friends and family. All you have to do is snap a picture and upload it to social media.

For another perspective on their teen years, though, don’t be afraid to check out the family photo albums! This person just celebrated their 80th birthday but she also took a moment to share a picture of her when she was only 16 years old. What a put-together picture!

Fashion has always been a widely debated topic. What’s appropriate for a certain situation and what comes down to personal preference can vary from situation to situation.

In retrospect, these women don’t look too shocking. Yet, Les Nouvelles Meirveilluses in the spring of 1908 shocked the watching crowd at Paris’ The Longchamp Racehorse. While these outfits don’t look too scandalous now, they were called a “monstrosity” by some at the time!

When you read about history, you might not read about everyday life. After all, the people in this picture weren’t creating some ground-breaking invention, for example.

On the other hand, it seems like this person directing traffic was more than happy for the chance to help this mother cat. This photo was taken in 1925 and it’s just what it looks like – this officer is stopping traffic so that this cat and the kitten she’s carrying get across safely.

There are some sights that will always tug at your heartstrings, and a dog lost and without a home is definitely one of those things. This is a picture of Camberley Kate, taken in 1962.

The dogs surrounding her are strays that she took in. She was known to never turn a dog away and, during her life in England, she took care of 600 dogs or even more. We’re sure these dogs appreciated it!

At first glance, you might think that this photo is an ad or something carefully designed in PhotoShop. This is actually more practically pulled off than you think. Ormond Gigli was a photojournalist and the person who put this together.

Gigli found 43 women to model for the photo and carefully dressed them in colorful dresses and organized them with the entire front of a New York City brownstone as the set. Girls in the Windows was one of his most famous pieces.

The Miss America Pageant is something that’s familiar to almost anybody, even if you aren’t interested in watching pageants play out. Like many things, there are a few key achievements that have happened over the course of Miss America’s history.

In 1971, the cast of the pageant included Cheryl Browne who would debut with the title of the first African-American contestant as Miss Iowa, beating out 19 white contestants to earn the title.

There are some celebrities that are so famous, you hear about them when they’re at their height and they manage to stay known decades later.

Dolly Parton is definitely one of those stars who haven’t gone down in popularity after decades in the spotlight. In fact, you see her so much now, you might not really recall what she looked like when she was younger. This picture was snapped of the music queen in the late ’60s.

There are some eras that really make you think of glitz and glamour. Hollywood has always had a certain charm to it to the outside world.

After all, not many people can think of anything more glamorous than fancy gowns, bright lights, and glittering jewelry. One star that really made their name in Old Hollywood was Sophia Loren. Here she is back in 1955 – Loren was really representing beautiful fashion in this photo!

Before you would go see movies with award-winning dialogue, people went to see movies that featured no dialogue at all. Yet, stardom was still around at the time.

If you were a bit of a cinephile in the 1920s, you might have seen this actress, Delores Costello, come across the screen. The actress was celebrated for her roles in silent films. If you want a bit of Hollywood history, she’s also the grandmother of current-day actress, Drew Barrymore!

When you think of friends in your household, you might count your pets. After all, who doesn’t like snapping a picture of your pet at its cutest?

As it turns out, that’s a human behavior that predates social media. Why wouldn’t it? After this dog learned a new trick, the three children he lived with couldn’t help but see an opportunity for a cute picture. It was originally taken in 1930 but remains cute to this day.

Nowadays, when you want to get a picture of yourself, you just have to whip out your phone. Still, you want to look your best.

But back in the day, if you had to go get your portraits taken rather than just snapping one on the go, you’d really go all out. This woman was dressed to the nines for this portrait session. It’s not clear when the photo was taken but it was likely between 1890 and 1910.

A lot of pictures of the past really give us an idea of what people looked like, what they wore, and more. After all, the photo evidence is right in front of our very eyes.

This person’s name was Helen and she was only 16 years old in 1913 when this photo was taken. She would live to be 90 years old in 1987, more than 70 years after this photo was taken.

There are plenty of families that see multiple generations in the span of a lifetime. It seems that it didn’t take long for family photos to catch on. This person had a photo from 1893.

Here, you can see their grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and great-great-great-grandmother, all in one photo! In this small image, they managed to catch all four generations right after this person’s grandmother was born.

There are some things that simply don’t change no matter where you are in history. For instance, kids love having fun when really given the chance.

This picture actually captures a 4th of July celebration and, in particular, these kids during a watermelon-eating contest. As you might be able to tell from his gigantic grin and empty watermelon rind, this boy was dubbed the champion of the watermelon eating contest in Brooklyn in 1935.

When you see painted portraits of monarchs in history, they often look regal. After all, you’re seeing them when they’re paying someone to make them look their best.

When it comes to a photo, though, the image will capture you as you are. This little girl’s photo was taken back in the 1850s and it’s a little different from what you normally see. It seems like she’s completely bothered by the fact that she has to pose for this.

There are some times that you just can’t retrieve pictures from. No one had cameras back in Ancient Rome, right? Still, that’s not the only way someone can leave their mark.

While there may not be ancient Roman photographs, you can see photographs of evidence like this. It doesn’t take too much looking to notice that a child managed to step in this clay before it dried. Now, we can look at it more than 2,000 years later!

There are some things that seem like they always have been a certain way. You wouldn’t expect too much space on a plane, would you? After all, there are plenty of stories of people being crammed together on flights.

Maybe not so much back in the 1960s, though. The picture you see here is a group of passengers flying in Economy Class on a Pan Am 747 flight. That’s a lot more space than most people are used to today!

There are some pictures that seem like they could only happen if things line up just right. You have to take a second and wonder how the photographer managed to do that.

There’s clearly something going on in the background of this otherwise idyllic image. That’s because photographer Richard Lasher was riding his dirt bike in 1980 when he looked up and saw this wall of smoke. It was caused by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

There are some images that you look at and you can only guess that they came out of a movie. You’d find this effect haunting enough for any pirate movie.

Believe it or not, this image is as real as every other one that we’ve looked at so far! Taken in 1900, the picture captures a ship emerging from a thick fog. That’s what gives this picture its ghostly but natural effect.

A lot of photos capture a person’s face or maybe an image of their family. However, not every single picture tells us too much about the subject’s personality.

This family photo, or set of them, is really endearing for how open and honest they are. Rather than just strict poses, we get to see a few shots of this mother-daughter duo in 1900 showing each other a bit of affection and having fun throughout the shoot.

The first thing you probably notice about this picture is that this bride-to-be couldn’t look happier! She even has a bouquet of lilies for her big day.

However, you might also notice that the person leaning out of the window hasn’t opened it themselves and there’s quite a bit of rubble in the yard. The bride is off to London in 1940 on November 4th after taking this picture outside of the family’s recently destroyed home.

There are some events in history that seem almost like something from a movie at times. When you hear Titanic, you might even picture Leonardo DiCaprio before the ship itself.

Yet, it’s important not to forget that this was a real tragedy. This picture captures an image of two of the survivors of this fatal ship sinking back in 1912. Their names are Marjorie and Charlotte Collyer and the picture was taken shortly after the tragedy took place.

When you see celebrities, they’re often all done up and ready for the cameras to capture them. Still, they can’t be “on” all the time.

Without things like a cellphone or even disposable cameras for quick photos, you might not have seen many of these unexpected behind-the-scenes appearances from celebrities. Someone snapped this more relaxed photo of Marilyn Monroe back in 1954. that’s not how you usually see her in photos!

There are some things that we still do that have been around for millennia. For instance, people have been fishing for dinner for centuries.

This picture shows an impressive catfish that Nora Washington caught in the Colorado River as it ran through Bastrop, Texas. This historic photograph was taken in the 1950s and if you look closely, you can see that Washington made her fishing rod out of a cane pole.

There are some photos that really capture a moment in a family’s day. We’re guessing that this bench got a lot of use before it became a photoshoot prop. These three surely sat together on many mornings before this one.

The picture you see here was taken in Worcester, Massachusetts, back about in 1900. As for the three kids sitting next to one another in near-matching outfits, that’s Lillian, Cora, and Luvenia Ward.

When you want to go for a night out, you might want to make sure your clothes, accessories, hair, and makeup are absolutely perfect before you hit the town.

The way that your grandmother gets ready now might not be exactly how she got ready when she was your age. We don’t always get the chance to see what that might have looked like. However, this person knew their grandmother’s style, thanks to this photo of her in 1947.

There are some members of the family that you can’t forget. So, you want to make sure that they’re included in some pictures for your family years later, right?

This boy made a bit of a mark on history when he was photographed with his dog. The two were photographed by a photographer named J.E. Williams somewhere in the later 1890s or early 1900s. The photoshoot took place in New Athens, Ohio.

There are some things we all have to do from time to time. After all, how are you going to get groceries if you don’t take a little time to grocery shop? How are you going to eat?

While strikingly different in a few remarkable ways, the general scene of a group of people grocery shopping in the 1960s isn’t all that unfamiliar. These women just wanted to get their shopping done and move on with their days.

There are some things kids tend to love and have in common – no matter what decade you look at. For instance, they’re full of imagination and like to explore their environment, given the chance.

That’s what it seems like this group was doing here. Taken back in the ’60s, there’s not much different here from a modern scene save for the black-and-white finish and the fashion. We wonder if there are still children doing stuff like this here decades later.

There are some people that you get used to seeing your whole life and, obviously, you picture them how they are or how they were the last time that you saw them.

This picture gives this family a chance to see what their grandparents looked like as a young couple, riding around town together. The image was taken of the two of them in 1952 while they were in Poland. This is a great one to have in the family photo album!

Unfortunately, fair game and equality haven’t always been as valued in history as they should have been. For instance, the Boston Marathon wasn’t always open to women.

Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to finish the Boston Marathon in 1967. It wasn’t an easy road either. There was no good sportsmanship here when some of the men in and organizing the race tried to stop her from finishing at all. Still, she went on to finish the race.

Electric cars have recently been in the news a lot. It seems a bit futuristic when most of us have been used to the combustion engine for quite some time.

This technology must be brand new to get so much attention, right? Well, there have actually been some ideas for electric cars for quite some time. Believe it or not, this is a photo from 1911 and that is an electric car charging in a New York garage.

When you look at photos from the past, you don’t always get to see all the details. After all, many are in black and white, so the color of things can be a bit of a mystery.

With modern technology, though, we aren’t as left in the dark about this. Thanks to Frédéric Duriez, this picture was taken in 1898 and got a second debut in full color. It shows a Bedouin couple from the Adwan tribe posing for the photographer outside of their tent.

There are some professions that have been around for decades. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the positions are exactly the same over the years.

For instance, as fashion and style norms change, the uniforms that employees wear may change as well. This picture shows a couple of flight attendants hard at work on a Southwest Airlines flight in 1972. Today, you probably see flight attendants in many different uniforms on flights.

There are some celebrities that seem like they manage to withstand the test of time. For goodness sake, there are still movies being made about Elvis Presley – even though his height is decades past.

You’re probably used to seeing pictures of The King in his iconic jumpsuits or boogying across the stage. However, this picture taken in 1959 captures him back at home with his dad, Vernon, and his grandmother, Minnie Mae.

It’s not just musicians that you don’t always see when they’re really young. Some actors hit their stride when they’re older and are more recognizable later in their careers.

We often think of John Wayne in his Western hits but this picture captured him a bit before he became an audience favorite in the genre. The actor is only 23 years old in this picture back in 1930. You almost don’t recognize this famous face at first!

There are some things that are magnificent to see, no matter what year they happened in. This picture shows a – quite literally – shocking image that’ll surprise you no matter when you see it.

The man sitting calmly under this calamity is none other than famed scientist and inventor, Nikola Tesla. The thing that’s causing this shocking effect is his magnifying transmitter. We can only guess he’s jotting down some notes as the magnificent magnifier goes to work.

There have always been people who look for more of a challenge and an adrenaline rush than others. These three were definitely looking for a bit of a rush.

The three of them were probably after showing off their skills too. If you think that it looks like they’re really high up, you’re right! This photo shows the trio doing a trick on the top of the Empire State Building back in 1934.

There are some changes throughout history that definitely took getting used to when the new way of things started to officially take effect. There are some changes that had to take effect all at once.

For instance, everyone has to be on the same page when it comes to traffic laws. However, there’s a bit of a learning curve to some changes. This picture shows people trying to adapt in 1967 when Sweden switched from driving on the left side of the road to the right.

There are some structures that you see so often or they’re simply so iconic it’s hard to picture a locale without them. For instance, can you picture New York without the Statue of Liberty?

This picture shows the statue while it was still a work in progress. This historical perspective is really one that you can’t get today and it shows just how much hard work went into this iconic emblem. It was still in Paris back in 1884!

There are some movies that really gain a following after they’re released. Alien is one of the most famous science-fiction movies that’s ever been released. This is a behind-the-scenes picture of Bolaji Badejo.

The design student played his only acting role in the film. Even if you’re a huge fan, you might not recognize him without looking at some behind-the-scenes footage. Badejo played the Alien itself!

Throughout history, the famous pieces that you see from the Old Masters in art weren’t always completely safe where they are – it takes a lot of work to preserve them.

The Louvre has long been a popular home for some of the most famous pieces of art in the world. The Mona Lisa simply wasn’t safe at some points in history, especially sitting in The Louvre. This picture shows the moment it returned to the museum.

There are some jobs that you see people doing that you really don’t envy. This is one job that you definitely wouldn’t want if you were even a little afraid of heights.

It looks like these four are just free climbing their way up the structure! If you want an idea of how high up they are, these men are painting part of the Eiffel Tower in 1932. Now’s not the time to look down!

Not too long ago, people didn’t have the convenience of remote controls for their TVs. Instead of being able to change the channel from the comfort of their couch, folks were left to either get up all the time or, if they were lazy, sit through a program they didn’t want to see.

The third option was to use a child as the designated remote control – this unpleasant task was usually reserved for the youngest sibling.

First things first — castles were generally built to protect whoever was living in them. That means that every now and then, an angry mob or invading army would show up at your castle walls. And then what? Well, you could just hide behind your high stone walls, but you could also try and cause some damage. Arrowslits were long narrow holes in castle walls that allowed archers to fire arrows from their bows or crossbows. Handy!

You might not think of a spiral staircase as an ingenious feature from a medieval castle, but you’d be wrong. Whilst we’re used to seeing spiral staircases in contemporary homes and buildings, back in the Middle Ages, they had a pretty specific purpose. Inside medieval castles, spiral staircases were always clockwise. This meant that any right-handed medieval knight trying to fight on a staircase would be impeded by the stone wall. It may sound minimal, but anything helps when it comes to battle!

Of course, when it came to battle, people living in medieval times didn’t go down easily. They needed innovative ideas and ways to protect themselves and the others that lived inside the castle walls. And often, these ideas were a little gruesome. Enter machicolations. These were introduced after the Crusades, and were a way of attacking enemies. Basically, a machicolation is a hole built into the top of a castle where people could drop boulders or boiling liquid on people below.

Another way of keeping the enemy at bay was to have a talus wall. Taluses, also known as batters, are thick walls that are flared outwards and thicker at the bottom than at the top. This means that attackers are forced to keep their distance. Additionally, because the talus wall is so thick, it’s difficult for enemies to batter it down. What’s more, the castle’s defenders can drop rocks from their walls, and they’ll bounce off the talus and at least irritate the enemy.

Of course, castles have pathways along the tops of castle walls — any Game of Thrones fan will have seen Jon Snow patrol many. In French, these pathways are called chemin de rondes, which means “walkway.” Chemin de rondes are protected by battlements, which allow the castle’s defenders to move around safely. Prior to these walkways, it was much more dangerous and difficult to defend a castle just from the high walls. The pathways gave the soldiers more of an advantage.

We’ve just mentioned battlements, so let’s discuss them in more detail now. Also known as crenellations, battlements are the protective stone that’s built along the top of castle walls. Actually, when modern humans think of castles, most of us think of crenellations. Crenellations are the gap-toothed stones along the top of castle walls and allow defenders to attack, or take cover from enemies. The solid part of a battlement is called the merlon, and the gap between is called the crenel.

When we use the term bastion now, we might say that someone is a “bastion of health,” meaning that they’re a great example of a healthy person. It’s no surprise then that the bastion in a medieval castle was a specially strengthened part of the castle wall. Bastions were often towers and jutted out from the castle wall. Usually, they were at the corner of the castle, or in the middle of a wall. They began to be developed at the same time that cannons were improving.

Moats are another feature of medieval castles that most of us are aware of thanks to TV and film. We’ve seen villains with moats filled with crocodiles, and we’ve watched as troops have poured into the murky water. Also known as douves, moats are the water-filled ditches around castle walls. Moats provide a useful barrier for approaching enemy troops, and they stop people from tunneling underneath the castle. Moats could also be used to farm fish, making them useful in times of peace!

Because medieval castles were fortified in all sorts of innovative ways, inhabitants also had to consider the weak points in their defense. This was often the entrance, so a lot of features were added to make it extra strong, and extra protected. First things first, defenders built a huge gatehouse around the entrance, sometimes with twin towers. The gateway into the castle would be placed back inside the gatehouse to restrict access. Any unwanted arrivals would be met with rocks and boiling liquid.

Sadly, many features of medieval castles were pretty unpleasant. For example, the oubliette was a type of dungeon that was entered through a trapdoor high in the cell’s ceiling. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the oubliette wasn’t comfortable. In fact, it was known for being dark, damp, and extremely small. Even worse, prisoners were left in the oubliette to waste away forever. In French, the term means “forgotten,” and so historians infer that prisoners stayed there until they were no more.

Have you ever thought about how badly people in previous eras must have smelled? Without hot showers and antiperspirant, folks from years gone by probably had a pretty strong aroma. That was certainly the case in the Middle Ages when there still wasn’t indoor plumbing. Castle inhabitants used the garderobe when they had to relieve themselves. This ancient latrine was a small room set inside or jutting out from the castle wall. Waste would go straight into the moat. Charming!

This feature of medieval castles actually confused historians for some time. Bossed stones are when pieces of stone or wood protrude from an unfinished, rough stone plane. Because there were bossed stones among polished ones, initially, researchers weren’t sure of their exact purpose. After thinking that they could be decorative, or a budgetary feature, they eventually came upon the right answer. Apparently, bossed stones absorb and diffuse the power of rocks catapulted at the castle. This technique comes from before the Roman Empire.

As well as having built-in features, medieval castles also had temporary features that could be brought out during attacks. One of these temporary features were hourdes, which were wooden structures attached to the top of the castle’s defensive walls. These wooden structures were then used as a vantage point, and as a place to attack from. Often, wooden hourdes would be covered in wet animal pelts so that it would be more difficult for them to catch fire.

Again, we’re all familiar with the concept of a drawbridge, but how exactly did it help medieval defenders against enemy troops? Obviously, if your castle has a moat around its perimeters, it needs a bridge so that people can enter through the gateway. A standing bridge would be too risky, whereas a drawbridge could be pulled up if necessary. The drawbridge could be closed by pulling ropes or chains, and formed a heavy barrier when pulled up to protect the castle.

Bartizans are pretty similar to bastions. Whilst bastions are specially reinforced parts of the castle wall and are often towers, bartizans are a type of castle tower. Also known as échaugettes, bartizans sit at the top of defensive castle walls. Castle defenders could take shelter in the turrets of a bartizan, and also have a space from which to attack enemies. Bartizans often had machicolations and arrowslits inside to help whoever was trying to protect the castle. They also functioned as lookout spots.

Whilst the word sounds like “dungeon,” the donjon in a medieval castle was actually a tall tower with a range of different rooms inside. Also known as the keep, the donjon was extremely strong and built to survive attacks. In fact, donjons had turrets on top so they could be used by archers and other defenders of the castle. When war wasn’t raging, the donjon was the center of castle life. Among other things, it contained storerooms, kitchens, and the great hall.

Here’s another castle feature that we’ve all seen multiple times. The criss-cross pattern of the portcullis — which is the castle gate — was designed specifically to keep people out. The gate would have been made from iron and stout timber, and fitted in the entrance of the gatehouse. As we’ve seen, the threatening portcullis comes with a spiky bottom to trap any intruders. The criss-cross portcullis was opened and closed using winches and pulleys. Sometimes, castles had two so that they could trap enemies between them.

We know that the donjon contained important rooms, and understandably, this meant that the master of the castle often spent his time there. However, the area around the donjon was called the bailey, and was often a square shape. The bailey also contained a variety of rooms needed for life in a castle. For example, the bailey could contain space for potters, weavers, and blacksmiths. Or, it could have food and grain stores, or areas for livestock and animals used for hunting.

We might assume that secret passages are just a Hollywood creation, but they were very much real in the castles of the Middle Ages. Secret passages and rooms had various purposes depending on the circumstances. For example, a hidden passageway could be used to escape or hide from an enemy. Alternatively, secret rooms could be for specific purposes. Warwick Castle in England has several secret chambers, one of which is a bear pit. We’ll stay out of that one, thanks!

Yet another type of fortified building used for defense in medieval castles is the ravelin. These buildings were usually erected a short distance from the main castle, and were often triangular. Because ravelins were separate from the castle, they provided the first line of defense, and their triangular shape meant that they could do this from three different directions. Ravelins had low walls, so if enemies climbed onto them, they could be attacked from the castle walls.

Yet another defensive fortification is the barbican (these medieval folks really knew how to protect a castle). These short stretches of strengthened wall were used specifically to protect weak areas. A barbican meant that castle defenders could hold off an attack on their walls or gate. There are various types of barbican, including the courtyard barbican and the passageway barbican. As time went on, barbicans were built at an angle from the main entrance, and incorporated a 90-degree turn to prevent access.

In this image, we can see the remains of the great hall in Kenilworth Castle, England. Of course, at its peak, the great hall was the center of the castle, and home to many luxurious and extravagant banquets. The great hall was usually the biggest and most beautiful room as it was used by the Lord, the Lady, and their guests. Hierarchy was important in the Middle Ages, so seating arrangements were paramount. Guests would sit next to the Lord in order of importance.

Here we can see the medieval stables at Dunster Castle, England. Whilst defensive structures were necessary to defend a castle, horses were also essential in many aspects of medieval life. Of course, horses were used in battle, and powerful Lords would have stables full of war-horses. Horses were also used for transport and communication — essential in a world without cars or telephones. Usually, the stables, hayloft, equipment rooms, repair areas, and groomer’s accommodation were inside the castle’s bailey.

We’ve learned about various different types of towers and turrets in medieval castles, but why are they designed the way they are? Well, in the early days of stone castles, towers were just placed along the walls but eventually, they became more strategically important. In late medieval castles, towers were added symmetrically, and usually at each corner of a castle. Towers started off square, but burrowing attackers were able to topple these quite easily. Instead, they became circular.

The name given to the outer castle wall of a medieval castle is the curtain wall. As its name suggests, this wall covers the entire castle, and is both high and thick. Curtain walls usually ranged between six to ten meters in height, and between 1.5 and 8 meters thick. Imagine trying to penetrate that! Curtain walls were made from stones or bricks, and cemented with a limestone mortar. The spaces between the walls were filled with stone fragments, rubble, and small rocks, making them extra strong and thick.

In most medieval castles, there was both an inner and an outer courtyard. Let’s first pay some attention to the former. The inner courtyard was generally a hustle and bustle kind of area. Both courtyards had slightly different purposes and as far as the inner courtyard was concerned, this was where residential day-to-day life would take place. It was also where the more formal events would happen, which makes perfect sense when you think about it.

There was no way that there could be only one entrance/exit to the wall. That’s where the postern comes into play. This was a secondary gate/door that could be found in either the castle curtain wall or the city wall. The important part though was that they were concealed and only people who knew of its whereabouts could locate it. It provided an opportunity to get in and out of the castle without anyone knowing about it. The term has since been used beyond castles.

A motte is an earthen mound on which some castles might be built on. While it might be artificial, there are times when mottes have been part of an already existing piece of landscape. Not to be confused with a moat, which is the ditch that is excavated around the motte. Usually, a motte and a bailey go hand in hand. However, there have been times when a castle might just have a motte. A flying bridge would usually be constructed to reach the motte.

Seeing that castles were there to keep a people safe and to prepare an army for battle, it made sense for them to have at least a few barracks. These are basically long buildings that will house the workers and military personnel in the castle. To be more specific when it comes to castles, the barracks would often be found in the bailey. It was here where one would also find workshops, stables, and other storage facilities.

When you are shacked up in a medieval castle, you can’t just dedicate every room to some kind of human activity. You need a place where you can store everything, especially because you are catering to many people at any given time. Most castles of the era had a storeroom, arguably one of the most important features of the structures. It was here where castles would store things such as food, drink, water supplies, and anything else they needed when under siege.

While the terms “enceinte” and “bailey” are connected, they are different features with a medieval castle. The enceinte was essentially the main defensive enclosure to a castle. While a castle could have many baileys, it would always have just one enceinte. An enceinte castle is essentially a castle that has no keep, and so there was a stronger emphasis on outer defenses. This is how most castles were designed before the keep was introduced around the 10th century.

Truth be told, not that many castles actually had dungeons in them. Despite this, it seems like these dark and gloomy underground rooms are the one feature of castles that most tourists want to see the most. Back in the Early Medieval times, it was less common, but as the Middle Ages approached, it became a normal practice to keep someone prisoner as a form of punishment. Eventually, modern dungeons were made and would often be located away from the castle.

While the moat and the dam would usually be part of the same structure, the dam specifically was a sight to behold in most medieval castles. Obviously, they were manmade and it would take in the water from local streams and rivers to create a pool around the castle. As you can see, there was something majestic about the water gushing through the dams, almost like a waterfall. This goes to show that no structure was made without an important reason.

A similar discrete exit to a postern was a sally port. This was a controlled way of entering or exiting a castle throw its fortification. The main difference between this and a postern was that it would be protected by some kind of door or fixed wall. While a postern was a way of secretly getting in and out, a sally port would specifically be used by the castle’s defenders to attack the besiegers by surprise.

Most medieval castles had both an inner and an outer courtyard. While the inner one tended to be for more formal events and day-to-day matters, the outer one was used for other reasons – messier ones, to be more precise. Soldiers could often be seen training in the outer courtyard, while it was also commonplace for farmers to tend to their horses and pigs. This would be where livestock would graze and be kept too.

In this image, we can see what the solar chambers at Bunratty Castle, Ireland might have looked like in their prime. The Lord and Lady of a castle wouldn’t have always been in residence, but when they were, they used the best rooms in the castle. Privacy wasn’t really a priority in the Middle Ages, so the Lord and Lady were privileged to have access to their own rooms. These rooms — the solar chambers — were usually at the top of the donjon.

Of course, you couldn’t have a medieval castle without its own chapel. After all, religion completely dominated society in the Middle Ages. Christianity was very central to medieval life, and chapels had several uses within a castle. Firstly, they were a status symbol and made the castle seem prestigious to others in the area. Secondly, they were strategically useful. It was considered barbaric to harm a priest, so the chapel also acted as a safe haven of sorts during attacks.

We’ve seen arrowslits already, and embrasures are basically the upgraded version. Where an arrowslit is precisely that — a slit for shooting arrows — an embrasure is a rotating cylinder built into the wall. Embrasures gave archers a wide field of vision, and provided shelter and space for equipment. The image above shows an inverted keyhole embrasure in Fort-la-Latte, France that allows defenders to shoot both arrows and small cannon fire. Usually, the doors to embrasures were very narrow on the outside but wide on the inside.

Whilst they may seem a little mundane to us, water wells were actually crucial to the survival of the people living in a medieval castle. Obviously, wells were needed in order to supply drinking water, and it could take literally decades to build them. Furthermore, if a castle was under attack, inhabitants needed access to clean drinking water. Therefore, enemies would often poison external wells so that a castle would be forced to surrender. Cisterns were used to collect rainwater from the roof.

This picture from Plane Castle, Scotland gives us some idea of what a medieval kitchen might have looked like. Of course, we know they would have been extremely busy and loud. Medieval castles were often home to lavish banquets, and kitchens would have matched the status of the castle’s residents. As well as kitchens, many medieval castles also had their own bakehouses for preparing fresh bread. Many also had breweries, where the process of brewing removed disease from water.