Step by step: correcting our mental image of the mušlālu

The mušlālu, which is usually understood to be a step- or ramped gate, has so far rarely been discussed in much detail, even though the texts mentioning it have been known for a long time. This is no doubt because the evidence on which to base both philological and archaeological investigations appears sparse and scattered. Up to now, scholars have tended to focus on specific mušlālu-structures. Consequently, there are as many discussions as there are mušlālu-structures. This article attempts to get a sense of the broader picture by bringing together the philological and archaeological data hitherto available with the aim of discussing the mušlālu as term and structure, clarifying the semantics and reassessing the architectural identifications. We hope to demonstrate that it is actually possible to take the evidence one step further and correct the mušlālu image that prevails.

Landesverteidigung

Der Schwedische Kampfjet Gripen wurde von der Stimmbevölkerung gegroundet. - Die Armeefinanzierung geriet erneut ins Fadenkreuz der Bundesversammlung. - Die Weiterentwicklung der Armee geriet kurzzeitig ins Stocken und wurde inhaltlich nicht voran gebracht. - Der Zivildienst wurde nicht als Konkurrenzorganisation zur Armee angesehen. - Zum Schutz vor Cyber-Risiken wurden neue Wege beschritten. - Das revidierte Bevölkerungs- und Zivilschutzgesetz wurde per 2015 in Kraft gesetzt.