Ancient Architecture Flashcards
Paleolithic Age
25,000 years ago. (Old Stone Age)
Neolithic Age
10,000 years ago. New Stone Age. People were domesticated. Huts, natural caves and tents were the 3 types of dwellings units that inspired architectural development.
Megalithic Structures
Stone structures in the Neolithic Age. (10,000 years ago). Structures like Stone Henge.
In what cities did the history of civilization begin?
In the river valleys:
Tigris and the Eu[hratis in Mesopotamia.
The Valley of the Nile in Egypt
The Indus Valley of India
The valley of the Yangste in China
EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
Infuences: On each side of the Nile River was fertile valley boredered by desert. Tward the south were moutains flanking each side. This limited human activity.
THE NILE RIVER: As the water of the Nile receeded a layer of fertile silt, called black land by the egyptians was deposited along the adjacent desert. The resulting fertile soil produced agricultural wealth.
This provided security and independance.
Egyptian Religion in Architecture
Egyptians believed in life after death.
The head od egypt in both politics and religion was the Pharaoh.
This resulted in the Tomb Architecture. Tombs of the ancient Pharaohs took the form of a pyramid.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CONE, A PYRAMID IS THE MOST STABLE OF ALL GEOMETRIC FORMS.
What are heiroglyphics?
Who discovered how to read these?
A symbol writting which surrounded these pictures were usually were descriptions of persons or a prayer that would be helpful inthe afterlife.
THIS KEY WAS DISCOVERED BY Champollion. (decoding the Rosetta Stone)
Egyptian Temple Architeture
This was an expression in stone. This was in the Trabeated Style (post and beam).
Columns were big and close togeather. This was because the lintels were limited on how much they could span. Flat Slabs of Stone formed the roof.
The temple plan consisted of 3 Parts:
- A Colonade Courtyard.
- A Hypostyle Hall
- A Sanctuary.
The entrance pylon was formed by two massive towers with battered or inclined walls. The building would get gradually smaller and darker untill you reached the tiny snctuary. (floor rose and the ceiling became lower)
What is this?
Bud and Bell Capitals of the Egyptian Architecture.
what is…
Egyptian Mastabas was a historic tomb constructed for nobel men and the middle class.
-Rectangular, battered walls and a flat roof. These were faced with limestone blocks.
Who was teh first architect in egypt?
Imhotep
2700 BC in Saqqara
PYRAMID of King Zoser.
This was not a pyramid strictly but rather mastabas placed one on top of another.
THIS WAS BUILD BY IMHOTEP
Egyptian Tomb carved out of living rock. This concept was called rockhewn type.
