History of Architecture Introduction

Introduction to History and Architecture

• History involves systematic narratives of significant events related to specific peoples, countries, or periods, including causal explanations.
• Architecture combines art and science to design and construct buildings, communities, and open spaces, emphasizing aesthetic and functional criteria.

Prehistoric Period

• Defined as the time before recorded human events, understood through archeological studies and discoveries.
• Stone Age represents the earliest cultural period characterized by the use of stone tools, preceding the Bronze and Iron Ages.
• Neolithic refers to the last phase of the Stone Age, marked by crop cultivation, animal domestication, village settlement, and production of pottery and textiles.

Influencing Factors in Architecture History

• Geological factors: Earth's physical structure influencing material availability.
• Geographical factors: Location affecting design and construction.
• Climatic factors: Weather impacts, influencing building methods and materials.
• Religious influences: Beliefs shaping architectural styles and functions.
• Historical influences: Events that affect architectural developments over time.
• Political factors: Governance and power dynamics influencing design and usage.
• Social factors: Cultural and societal norms impacting architectural style.
• Cultural influences: The aesthetics and practices of specific populations affecting architecture.

Prehistoric Architecture

• Utilized available local materials like animal bones, skins, and natural elements for shelter.
• Early architectural forms include:
  • Tree House: Early design for protection.
  • Cave House: Primitive housing structure.
  • Hut: Small dwelling made from natural materials.
  • Lake Dwelling/Pile Dwelling: Structures built on supports over water.
  • Yurt: Circular tent of Mongol nomads with cylindrical walls and conical roof, covered with felt.
  • Teepee: American Indian tent made from animal skins, featuring a conical frame and top ventilation.
  • Wigwam: Round or oval shaped shelter made with poles and covered with rush mats or skins.
  • Longhouse: Communal dwelling of Native American cultures, featuring a bark-covered wooden framework.
  • Igloo: Eskimo house constructed from snow or ice, sometimes made of sod, wood, or stone.

Prehistoric Monuments

• Menhir: Upright megalith, often solitary or aligned in groups.
• Megalith: Large stones used in ancient constructions.
• Monolith: Single large stone, resembling an obelisk or column.
• Dolmen: Structure of upright stones supporting a horizontal slab, often regarded as a tomb.
• Cromlech: Circular arrangement of megaliths surrounding a dolmen or burial mound.
• Stonehenge: Megalithic site from the early Bronze Age, consisting of concentric rings of trilithons and menhirs.
• Cairn: Piled stones used as monuments or markers.
• Tumulus/Barrow: Artificial mound over an ancient grave.

West Asiatic Architecture

• Encompasses architectural styles from regions in western Asia, particularly around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, from 2200 BC to 330 BC.
• Features civilizations such as Babylonian, Ancient Chaldean, Assyrian, and Persian.
• Geographical context includes Mesopotamia, meaning "middle river."
• Geological factors vary, with Chaldean/Sumerian societies using sun-dried bricks due to limited stone resources.
• Assyrians, while using both stone and brick, incorporated alabaster and limestone in their architecture.
• Climatic conditions differ significantly across regions impacting architectural practices:
  • Chaldea/Sumer/Babylonia experienced swamps and floods.
  • Assyria had fewer swamps, closer to mountains and rivers.
  • Persia had a predominantly dry, hot climate.
• Religious beliefs influenced architectural styles, with Chaldeans practicing polytheism and Persians adhering to Zoroastrianism, which emphasized good versus evil.