ARC 111: Prehistoric Architecture

Prehistoric and Neolithic Era (11,600 BCE - 3,500 BCE)

• Humans constructed earthen mounds, stone circles, megaliths, and monumental structures
• Examples include Stonehenge in the United Kingdom and Chauvet Cave in France
• Prehistoric builders moved earth and stone into geometric forms, creating the earliest human-made formations
• Prehistoric people looked to the heavens to imitate the sun and the moon, using circular shapes in their creations

Ancient Egypt (3,050 BCE - 900 BCE)

• Powerful rulers constructed monumental pyramids, temples, and shrines
• Examples include the Pyramids of Giza, which were feats of engineering
• Egyptian builders didn't use load-bearing arches; instead, columns were placed close together to support the heavy stone entablature above
• Columns were often brightly painted and elaborately carved, mimicking palms, papyrus plants, and other plant forms
• Egyptian art was functional, serving as a home for spirits or gods

Classical Era (850 BCE - CE 476)

• The Doric column was first developed in Greece
• Greece built elaborate temples and secular buildings with Ionic and Corinthian columns
• The Romans borrowed heavily from Greek styles, but their buildings were more highly ornamented
• The invention of concrete allowed the Romans to build arches, vaults, and domes
• Famous examples of Roman architecture include the Roman Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome

Middle Ages

Byzantine Era (527 - 565 CE)

• After Constantine moved the Roman capital to Byzantium (now Istanbul, Turkey), Roman architecture evolved into a classically-inspired style using brick, domed roofs, and elaborate mosaics
• Eastern and Western traditions combined in the sacred buildings of the Byzantine period
• Buildings were designed with a central dome that eventually rose to new heights using refined engineering practices
• Byzantine art is concerned with religious expression and the translation of church theology into artistic terms

Romanesque Era (800 - 1200 CE)

• Churches and castles of the early Medieval period were constructed with thick walls and heavy piers
• The Basilica of St. Sernin in Toulouse, France is a good example of this transitional architecture
• Roman ideas reached far across Europe, even as the Roman Empire faded

Gothic Era (1100 - 1450 CE)

• Gothic architecture became characterized by elements that supported taller, more graceful architecture
• Innovations included pointed arches, flying buttresses, and ribbed vaulting
• Elaborate stained glass could take the place of walls
• Gothic architecture began mainly in France, influenced by Romanesque style and Moorish architecture in Spain

Renaissance Era (1400 - 1600 CE)

• A return to Classical ideas ushered in an "age of awakening" in Italy, France, and England
• Architects and builders were inspired by the carefully proportioned buildings of ancient Greece and Rome
• Italian Renaissance master Andrea Palladio helped awaken a passion for classical architecture
• Palladio's designs were in the manner of ancient designs, but his ideas did not imitate the Classical order of architecture
• The work of the Renaissance masters spread across Europe, inspiring architects in the Western world