Techniques and Examples

Question 1

Corbelled vaults/ceiling

Define and name earliest and famous examples

Answer 1

A corbel vault is constructed by offsetting successive courses of stone at the spring line of the walls so that they project towards the archway’s center from each supporting side, until the courses meet at the apex of the archway (often capped with flat stones)

Earliest example: Orkney Islands, 2600BC

Famous example: Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae 300BC