12-01-2013, 10:29 PM
Attached is a photo that I have been puzzling over for a while, and having just discovered this forum, thought you could help me. The image is from Trajan's Column - I took the pic recently in Bucharest where a museum has casts of every panel so you can see everything close up.
My question is - what are these machines? I am pretty sure they are not vertical against a wall, as they seem to be, but are horizontal on a lake. The circles are not wheels as they are fixed to the bars by U-bolts. There is a scythe-like blade on the left side of each left-hand circle. Each machine is made the same so there must be a purpose. Curiously they seem to be attached to a pipe-work with (pressure-relieving?) barrels at regular intervals. Were they moving back and forth to stop water-born attackers? That's a Dacian castle wall in the background - you can see diagrams of the panel and the ones to either side here: http://www.stoa.org/trajan/buildcartoon.cgi?18a
Any thoughts?
Lyle
My question is - what are these machines? I am pretty sure they are not vertical against a wall, as they seem to be, but are horizontal on a lake. The circles are not wheels as they are fixed to the bars by U-bolts. There is a scythe-like blade on the left side of each left-hand circle. Each machine is made the same so there must be a purpose. Curiously they seem to be attached to a pipe-work with (pressure-relieving?) barrels at regular intervals. Were they moving back and forth to stop water-born attackers? That's a Dacian castle wall in the background - you can see diagrams of the panel and the ones to either side here: http://www.stoa.org/trajan/buildcartoon.cgi?18a
Any thoughts?
Lyle
