Prehistoric Architecture Overview

Study Notes

Paleolithic Period:
- Caves used as shelters.
- Hunter gatherers
Lascaux Cave:
- Found in France.
- Contains wall paintings and engravings.
- Dates from 13,000-8500 BCE.
Mammoth Bone Huts:
- Found at Mezhyrich site.
- Winter settlement of Paleolithic hunters.
Khirokitia:
- One of the earliest Neolithic villages.
- Houses built in limestone.
- Circular plan with varying diameters.
Mesolithic Period:
- Nomadic hunter-gatherers transitioned to more settled communities.
Pit House:
- Semi-subterranean dwelling partially dug into the ground.
- Materials used: stone, mud bricks, wood, and thatch.
Neolithic Period:
- Settled agricultural communities.

Jericho:
- One of the oldest continually inhabited cities.
- Hilltop city.
Çatalhöyük:
- Largest and most well-preserved Neolithic village.
- Materials used: wood, stone, bone, and reeds.
- Semi-permanent pit houses.

Megalithic Structures:
- Menhirs: Monolithic standing stones, often aligned in parallel rows.
- Dolmens: Table-like structures made of three or more standing stones, often with a horizontal lintel.
- Stone Circles: Circular arrangements of standing stones.
Longhouses: Large communal dwellings.

Tipi:
- Portable conical tent made of skins, cloth, or canvas on a frame of poles.
- Used by North American Indians of the Plains and Great Lakes regions.
Hogan:
- Round, cone-shaped, multi-sided, or square structures.
- Walls and roof made of timber, packed earth, and stone.
Trumulus:
- Mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves.
- Also known as barrows, burial mounds, or kurgans.
Beehive Hut:
- Dry-stone hut with a corbelled roof.
- Often found in southwest Ireland.
Trullo:
- Round stone building with a conical roof.
- Found in southern Italy, especially in Apulia.
Igloo:
- Dome-shaped dwelling made of snow, sod, wood, or stone.
- Found in Arctic regions.
Wigwam:
- Hut or tent with a domed or conical roof.
- Made by fastening bark, hides, or reed mats over a framework of poles.

Stonehenge:
- Megalithic monument consisting of four concentric rings of trilithons and menhirs.
- Centered around an altar stone.
- Believed to have been used by a sun cult or for astronomical observation.
Göbekli Tepe:
- Neolithic archaeological site in Turkey.
- Famous for its large circular structures containing massive stone pillars.
- Among the world's oldest known megaliths.
- Materials used: wood, stone, and bone.