Pre-Greek & Greek Architecture Flashcards
What does the term prehistory refer to?
The term prehistory references the period before history was written down, prior to any kind of written explanation of culture and civilisation.
When and where was Stonehenge created?
Wiltshire, England
2500 BC during the Late New Stone Age
Why is Stonehenge perhaps the world’s most famous prehistoric monument?
- It uses thepost-and-lintel system: themost commonstructural system today.
- World Heritage Site
- One of the first structures erected by man
Where and when was Göbeklitepe created?
Göbeklitepe is found in the Sout Eastern Anatolian part of Turkey - near Sanlıurfa, 9000BC
What is Göbeklitepe?
Circles of massive T-shaped stone pillars were erected – the world’s oldest megaliths.- 10th to 8th BC
What is a megalith?
A megalith is a large stone that forms a pre-historic monument (e.g a standing stone)
Where and when was The Giza Pyramids created?
Outskirts of Cairo, Egypt
2500 BC
What was the purposes of the 3 Great Pyramids?
Egypt’s pharaohs expected to become gods in the afterlife. To prepare for the next world they erected temples to the gods and massive pyramid tombs for themselves - filled with all the things each ruler would need to guide and sustain himself in the next world.
What does the Giza pyramid complex include?
It includes the 3 Great Pyramids (Khufu/Cheops, Khafre/Chephren and Menkaure), the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers’ village and an industrial complex.
What are the disadvantages of the post and lintel system?
- Can only withstand a limited weight
- There must be small distances between the posts
(ancient Roman architecture’s development of the arch allowed for much larger structures to be constructed)
What was the main ethos behind the classical Greek order?
no structural role, designed to impress
Where and when was The Temple-City of Karnak created?
Egypt, 2000BC
What was the purpose of he Temple-City of Karnak?
- It comprises of a vast mix of decayedtemples, chapels, and other buildings inEgypt
- It was built for Egyptian Gods; It is the largest religious building ever made
- Place for pilgrimage
What age was the Minoan civilisation a part of?
Aegean Bronze Age, 2600-1600BC
What was the Minoan civilisation?
An AegeanBronze Agecivilisation on the island ofCreteand otherAegean Islandswhich flourished from about 2600 to 1600 BC - refers to mythicalKing Minos. Due to trade between Crete, Aegean and Mediterranean settlements: the Minoan cultural influence reached beyond Crete
What did Minoan architecture consist of?
Minoan architecture consists of several structures which acted as centres for commercial, religious, and administrative life.
What did the typical Minoan city look like?
The typical Minoan city was concentrated around a centre formed by the palace and a kind of agora - an open space for festive and political gatherings –most important is Knossos.
What did Minoan palaces act as (for example the Palace of Knossos)?
Minoans began building palaces to act as cultural, religious, administrative, and commercial centres for their increasingly expanding society. The Minoan palaces provided a forum for gathering and celebrations, while at the same time they offered storage for the crops, and workshops for the artists - so complex that they resembled labyrinths to outside visitors.
When did Minoans begin building palaces?
Around 1900BC
In what what way were the Minoans technologically advanced?
They had expanded drainage systems, irrigation, aqueducts, and deep wells that provided fresh water to the inhabitants.
Why did none of the Minoan palaces have defensive walls?
A testament to the Minoan supremacy at sea - there were dominant.
Where and when was the Minoan Palace of Knossos created?
Crete, 1700-1400BC
What is frescoes?
painting/murals on a plaster wall (Roman technique)
What was the purpose of the Minoan Palace of Knossos?
The palace of Knossos was the centre of administration of the entire island during Minoan times, and its position as such allowed for unprecedented growth and prosperity as witnessed by wall paintings (frescoes) visible behind the characteristic Minoan columns.
LEARN THE LAYOUT OF THE MEGARON
LEARN THE LAYOUT OF THE MEGARON
What was the general layout of the megaron?
Porch of 2 columns (pronaos), a vestibule and rectangular hall with a central hearth and and oculus in roof with 4 columns (cella/central naos). There were often many rooms around the central megaron, such as archive rooms, offices, oil-press rooms and workshops.
How did the megaron become the prototype for Greek Temple typology?
The structure of the megaron foreshadowed an image for the eventual layout of Greek temples. This includes a columned entrance, apronaos and a central naos or cella. The Megaron is considered to be the predecessor of all orders in architectural theory.
What was the significance of The Lion Gate of 1250BC?
It was the only monument of Bronze Age Greece to bear an iconographic motif that survived without being buried underground
What was the significance of The Lion Gate of 1250BC?
It was the only monument of Bronze Age Greece to bear an iconographic motif that survived without being buried underground.
What was The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon and when was it constructed?
It is a large tomb in Mycenae, constructed during the Bronze Age in 1300BC.
What does the Treasury of Atreus look like?
Corbelled archcovering that isogival (pointed arch)in section.
What was the span of the corbelled arch that made up Treasury of Atreus?
13.5m (which was the largest span in masonry for 1400 years)
What is a corbelled arch?
An arch-shaped construction technique to span a space or a void.
What was the positives and negatives of the structure of the Treasury of Atreus?
It had food load bearing efficiency but it required thickened walls.
In what century did the Mycenaean power decline and how did this lead to the start of Classical Greece?
During the 13th century BC. Other conqurers came down from north-central Greece making a sudden end of a long civilisation and beginning a Dark Age- 3 centuries of chaos, after which classical Greece began to emerge.
How long was the period of Classical Greece? From when to when?
Classical Greecewas a period of around 200 years (5th and 4th centuries BC) in Greek culture.
What was the influence of Classical Greece?
Classical Greece had a powerful influence on theRoman Empireand on the foundations ofwestern civilisation. Much of modern Westernpolitics, artistic thought (architecture, sculpture), scientific thought, theatre, literature, andphilosophyderives from this period ofGreek history.
What was the style of buildings during the Classics Green period?
- usually a cube/rectangle
- made from limestone cut into large blocks
Why was marble used during the Classical Greece period?
- it was readily available
- used mainly for sculptural decoration (only used as structural in the very grandest buildings of the Classical period)
What is architectural order?
An order in architecture is a certain assemblage of parts subject to uniform established proportions, regulated by the office that each part has to perform (or in other words the parts of the architecture and how they are related).
What type of building best highlights and exemplifies the aims and methods of Greek Architecture?
The Greek Temple
