4. Pre-colonial America

Geology

• Eastern Woodlands of North America primarily used earth and timber for building materials.
• Mesoamerica utilized stone, clay, and mortar made from mixtures of clay, lime, and mud.
• Central America used minerals like hematite for red pigments, creating vibrant architectural colors.
• The Andean regions relied on pure clay for mortar and employed copper tools for precise stone cutting.

Climate

• North America experienced a wide range of climates, from humid subtropical to subarctic conditions.
• Central America had two distinct zones: an upland plateau with reliable rainfall and humid tropical lowlands with a brief dry season.
• The Andean coastal regions were marked by abrupt changes from extreme desert conditions to well-watered river valleys.

Physical Characteristics

• North America's Eastern Woodland region extended along the Mississippi and Missouri River Basins.
• Mesoamerica, a key region for pre-colonial architecture, included Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Central America.
• The Andean region, encompassing Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, was a hub of pre-colonial civilization.

Social/Cultural/Religion

• Pre-colonial societies in the Americas were often structured with hereditary elites ruling over farmers.
• Religious practices were integrated into political life, with temples serving as both political and religious centers.
• The belief in supernatural powers residing in specific locations influenced temple construction, often leading to the building of new temples over old ones.

Maya

• Flourished from 300 to 900 AD.
• Advanced in agriculture, science, and art.
• Developed a sophisticated calendar and system of writing.
• Constructed large pyramids and palaces as a testament to their architectural prowess.
• Had a complex social structure with a ruling chief, nobles, merchants, artisans, and farmers.
• Religion was extremely important, with priests being well-respected.
• Maya declined around 900 AD, with reasons for their decline remaining unknown.

The Aztecs

• Established their empire in Mexico in the late 1200s.
• Fierce warriors who built a large empire through conquest and alliances.
• Accumulated significant wealth through taxation.
• Social hierarchy included a powerful emperor, nobility, warriors, traders, farmers, and slaves.
• Developed their own calendar system and established schools.
• Made advancements in medicine, including setting broken bones and performing dental procedures.

Olmecs

• The first major Mesoamerican civilization, existing from 1400 to 500 BC.
• Developed in the tropical rainforests of Mexico's gulf coast.

Mesoamerican Development Stages

• Pre-Classic (2000 BC – 200 AD): Early development of Mesoamerican civilizations.
• Classic (200 – 900 AD): Marked by the peak of monumental architecture and urbanism, divided into Early Classic (200 – 600 AD) and Late Classic (600 – 900 AD).
• Post-Classic (900 – 1500 AD): Post-classical civilizations emerging in Mesoamerica.

The Incas

• Ruled by an emperor who held absolute power and was considered the son of the Sun God.
• Capital located at Cuzco.
• Had a highly centralized government, controlling language and religious practices.
• Constructed an extensive road system, stretching over 2,500 miles along the Pacific Coast.
• Excels in medicine and engineering.
• Their empire was conquered by Spanish conquistadors.

Aztec Religious Practices

• Held priests in high regard.
• The Sun God was their chief deity.
• Practiced human sacrifices.

Incan Technology

• Developed an extensive road system, including bridges and tunnels.
• Implemented terrace farming in mountainous regions.
• Used knotted, colored strings called quipus as a form of communication.

Building Techniques and Processes

• North America
  • Used earth materials like timber, earth, and stone to create structures.
  • Employed techniques like piling up earth, bent sapling construction.
• Mesoamerica
  • European influence introduced advanced military technology.
  • European diseases led to devastating epidemics among indigenous populations.
• South America
  • Inca society excelled in medicine.
  • Prevalent use of terraces for agriculture.
  • The Incan Empire was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors.

Maya Architecture

• Late Classic Mayan masonry, often monolithic, featured regional variations.
• Characteristic of the Vaulted Temple Buildings: Exterior design often included a horizontal band with symbolic painted reliefs.

Incan Architecture

• Built using polygonal masonry, where stones were precisely fitted together without using mortar.
• Temples and palaces were dominant features in Inca cities.

Mesoamerican Architecture

• Corbels were utilized extensively for supporting floor and roof timbers.
• Temples were often vertically oriented or pyramidal.
• Palaces covered large areas and contained long, narrow rooms.

South American Architecture

• Often used pitch-roofed structures.
• Large temples and palaces dominated the landscape.

Temple of The Sun

• Built in the Inca capital to withstand earthquakes.
• Built with a terrace farm approach.

The Olmec Civilization

• Found 13 colossal basalt heads in their territory.
• Temple Pyramid of Cuicuilco, a circular pyramid or temple mound.

Teotihuacan

• Known for its iconic Avenue of the Dead, lined by pyramids like the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun.
• The Ciudadela (Citadel), a large square courtyard, housed the Temple of Quetzalcoatl.
• Priests performed ritual sacrifices.
• Buildings were significantly oriented North-South, reflecting the importance of the 260-day calendar.

The Temple of The Seven Dolls, Dzibilchaltun

• A Mayan monument located in a fertile area near the coast.

The Temple of The Inscriptions, Palenque

• The largest Mesoamerican stepped pyramid at Palenque.
• A funerary monument for K'inich Janaab' Pakal.
• Construction spanned three overlapping phases.
• Known for hieroglyphic text on the Inscription Tablets and sculptural panels.

Five-Storey Temple, Edzná

• A 40-meter high platform supporting the temple.
• Construction was done with poor quality materials such as mud used to set stones.
• The name "Edzná” may refer to the Itzá, who may have influenced the city before it became Chichen Itzá.

The Nunnery, Uxmal

• Built between 900 to 1000 AD.
• Resembles a convent.
• Formal entrance, hierarchy of structures, and the absence of domestic elements suggest it was a royal palace.

The Ball Court, Copan

• Popular game across Mesoamerica.
• Located western Honduras, where a dynasty of 16 kings ruled from AD 426-820.

Codz-Poop Palace, Kabah

• Known as the Palace of the Masks.
• Decorated with hundreds of stone masks of the rain god Chaac.

El Castillo, Chichen Itza

• Also known as the Temple of Kukulkan, a step-pyramid.
• Known for its use of feathered serpent motif.

Temple of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, Tula

• Also known as “House of the Morning Star” and “Pyramid B.”
• Consists of different elevations and levels.

Great Pyramid of Cholula

• The largest archaeological site of a pyramid in the world.
• Built in four stages from 3rd Century BC to 9th Century AD.
• Dedicated to the deity Quetzalcoatl.
• Consist of six superimposed structures.
• Important religious site, sacred to Chiconauhqulauhitl before being replaced by the Virgin of the Remedies.

Kukulkan Pyramid

• Located in Yucatan.
• Constructed between 8th to 12th Centuries.
• A temple dedicated to the god Kukulkan.
• Known for its square terraces with stairways on each of four sides.

The Gate of the Sun, Tiahuanaco

• Constructed between 500-950 CE.
• Known for its central figure surrounded by 48 squares.
• Linear rays surrounding the central figure represent thunder and lightning.

Saqsaywaman, Cuzco

• Citadel located north of Cusco, Peru.
• Constructed using dry stone walls with massive, precisely fitted stones.
• Known for its three primary structures: the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.

Machu Picchu

• A 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of Southern Peru.
• Believed to have been built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti.
• Known for its intricate terraces, which were designed to ensure good drainage and soil fertility while protecting the mountain from erosion.

Module 1 - History of Architecture (Atlas)