Final Prep Flashcards
What are the two South American civilizations that rose simultaneously in Peru during 200 CE.
Moche and Nazca
To which civilization belongs the Huaca del Luna site? What was its main function?
Moche, it was the regions paramount shrine and was the setting for human sacrifices.
What was the main difference between the Nazca civilization and the northern societies?
They consisted of loosely allied communities (not large centralized community)
To which civilization belonged the city of Teotihuacan? Briefly describe its urban structure.
Mayan—Organized into quadrants, aligned North/South with Cerro Gordo (sacred mountain). Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. Multifloor apartment compounds
What was the material and main construction technique used for building the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon in Teotihuacán?
Sun dried bricks carried by hand. Built over tombs. Covered in plaster and painted red.
Compare and contrast the Shrines of Tikal to other Central American platform mounds. 600 CE
The shrines dominate the mound sub-structure—different proportions.
Describe the urban setting of the Mayan central buildings.
Priests and elite lived in palaces near the shrines, most mayans just visited the city center for distinct purposes. City was more like an urban settlement
What is the material used for the construction of the Tikal pyramids?
The interior was built with large blocks of stone carefully fit inside, sealed with mortar. (instead of clay and stone)
Describe how the location of the main temples in Tikal was determined?
Astronomy and sightlines. standing on one temple looking towards another marks the equinoxes, and another marks the sunset on august 13th, the day mayans thought the world began.
What is the taypi? What did it represent?
The zone of convergence between the principles of urco (west, high, dry, celestial, male) and uma (east, low, agricultural, female) —lake titicaca.
What are the geopolitical developments that led to the rise of the Khmer in the 11th century? 1200 CE
The Song Dynasty and the Chola in India spread Buddhism and Hinduism through the region of India. The Dali unified the area of Burma, building temples and palaces, and ensuring an alternative to the silk route
What is the symbolic meaning of wells in Khmer temples?
A connection to the water-based authority of the Khmer rulers, but also an inverted mirror of the cosmic mountain symbolized by the tower.
Describe the reasons of the sudden collapse of the Khmer civilization in Angkor.
Deforestation because of the aqua-engineering led to environmental degradation. The kingdom was eventually also sacked by the Thais
Explain the reasons behind the ascension of Pure land Buddhism
Wars, natural disasters, and two attempted Mongolian invasions created a feeling of instability, which Buddhists associated with the end of Buddhism. Charismatic Buddhist monks traveled around, popularizing Pure Land Buddhism.
The Tori important architectural elements in the Japanese tradition, what does it symbolize?
A reinterpretation of the Buddhist “torana”, or gateway. It symbolizes the call to the god to come forth and grant the worshipper’s prayers
What is the connection to Byzantium in the Church of the Tithe, in Kiev, and how is the architecture of the church different from Byzantine churches?
It was erected by Byzantine Masons. It had a pronounced silhouette, 4 domes set in a cluster around a central one.
What is tetraconch? Explain and give an example of a building
4 apses around a square. — the church of the holy cross in Aght’amar.
Describe the relation between Ottonian churches and the market place.
Churches were founded outside of the city, and in coordination with a marketplace.
Explain why the architecture of the Speyer Cathedral is described as transitional from Romanesque to Gothic.
The interior of the church was made taller, side aisles were interpreted as buttresses, introduced stone vaulting
Describe how and why a pilgrimage church like Santiago de Compostela was different in terms of its use than earlier Romanesque counterparts.
People came to these churches mostly to see the relics they housed. Some of the first descriptions of this architecture were a result of the pilgrimages
What is a madrasa? Describe the urban situation of the Cairo Madrasas and name under which rule they were established.
Separate institutions for higher studies of islam. Part of Seljuk political ideology
How do the churches of Lalibela resemble a map of the holy city of Jerusalem? Describe how they are situated, and what their relation to the landscape is.
They are divided by a rock cut channel representing the jordan river, st. George is in the shape of a cross. A deep, narrow trench leads visitors to its ground level. It’s 12m in height/length/width.
