PREHISTORIC

ARCHITECTURE ANCIENT ARCHITECTURE

Start of recorded data about architecture
HISTORY ● Beginning of Prehistory - 35,000 BC
- From the Greek Word “HISTORIA” ● Sumerians develop a written language -
(Inquiry) 3500 BC
- Chronological Records of Events ● Construction of Stonehenge -
- Discovery, collection, organization, and 2900-1400 BC
presentation of information about past ● Egyptian Old Kingdom - 2649 - 2134
events. BC
● Construction of Pyramids at Giza -
ARCHITECTURE 2550 - 2460 BC
- ARCHI (Chief) THEKTON (Builder) ● Construction of Ziggurat at Ur - 2100
- Art and Science of Designing and BC
Erecting Buildings or Structures ● Egyptian Middle Kingdom - 2040 -
- Style and method of design and 1640 BC
construction of buildings and other ● Egyptian New Kingdom - 1550 - 1070
physical structures. BC

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE Beginning of Prehistory

- Looking back to past events that
influence the buildings we have today (Prehistoric Era)
Medieval men starts to build their architecture to
protect themselves from climate and animals
INFLUENCES OF ARCHITECTURE
PERIODS

Geographical Climatic Socio-Political Paleo Old

Geological Religious Historical Meso Middle/Between

Beliefs Events
Neo New

Geographical - where it is located; neighboring Lith Stone

countries
Geological - Kinds of natural materials existing; Mega Large/Great
determines the building materials used before
Climatic - Influences depends on climate INFLUENCES OF PREHISTORIC
Religious Belief - Details in architecture ARCHITECTURE
influenced of religion (catholic, Islamic)
Socio-Political - Based on the needs of the Geographical/Geological
people; Involves people - Used available materials for tools and
Historical Events - Events that impacted in shelter
present architecture
 - Took advantage of rock-caves and used - Mammoth Bone Settlements - Made
for shelter from bones of huge animals,

Climate/Religious Beliefs
- Different religious beliefs but no formal
organization
- Believed that natural phenomena is a
sign of something significant

Socio-Political/Historical Events
- Learned Hunting, pottery, wall/cave
paintings and engravings
- Periods were determined with the type
of tools used
- Buildings were modified because their
skills were enhanced

- Lean-to (Le Lazaret, Nice): Erected

PALEOLITHIC PERIOD (Early against one wall of the cave, 12x4 m,
skin from dead animals are used,
Stone Age)
entrance on the longer side
- The time when structures were made out
of wood and stone
- Fire was discovered

Dwellings are classified as:

- Caves : Most common type of
dwellings, natural underground spaces

- Huts (Terra Amata. Nice) : Oldest

recorded huts were recovered in
southern french cities, oval in shape,
8-15 m x 4-16 m, built near seashores,
floor is made out of organic matter and
ash
 - Tents : Pebbles and stones, interiors Dwellings are:
were paved, secured by reindeer antlers Huts - made from bamboos, trapezoidal shape,
5-13 m, wide entrances facing bodies of water,
footing was plastered with lime

Lead Huts

Pit Houses - More common in eastern europe

with severely low temperature, influenced by
climate, oval trapezoidal in shape, 5-8m x
2.5-3m, constructed by making shallow
depression of the ground, used mammoth bones Nigerian Huts

MESOLITHIC PERIOD Pit houses - shallow oval tips, 6-9 m long, 2-5
- Villages were arranged systematically m wide, roof was made out of timbers, stone
- Houses were aligned hertz as working slabs
- Planning was regular
- Dwellings are developed
- Evidences starts to exist
- Vegetables were cultivated
- Dwellings were more durable
 Bipartite - 2 parts (entrance, living room/storage
NEOLITHIC PERIOD (New room)
Single bay - living room
Stone Age)
- Own food was produced
- Production of food was developed Dry stone houses - rectangular plan with
- Houses were more permanently built circular corners
- Square or rectangular plans with animals
skins
- More sustainable dwellings
MEGALITHIC CONSTRUCTION
- Burial Mounds
Western europe in Scandinavia and
Meditteranean practiced a burial in megalithic
collective tombs

Monuments

Passage Grave - Passage going to burial site,

built in a mound, inside a hill, 38x32m, entrance
passage is 1m wide 1.5m height

Timber Framed Houses - 25x25 feet long, 3

feet deep, pitched and patched roof

MEGALITHIC STRUCTURES
(Large stones)
- Came from ancient greek term Megas
meaning Great, Lithos meaning Stone
Longhouses - 20 x26-150 feet, clay, consists of - Described structures made of stones
3 plans without using cement
Tripartite - 3 Divisions (entrance, living room,
storage area)
Nevali Cori - evidences of most ancient
megalithic structure, early settlement in province
of Utah in eastern turkey

Tombs

Chamber tomb Single stone roofe

supported by two or
Gobekli Tepe - Oldest human made place of more uprights
worship
Passage grave Rectangular or
polygonal chamber
with an entrance
passage

Gallery grave Elongated,

rectangular grave that
was sub-divided
further

Temples - represents some earliest european

buildings with a specific function.

OTHER PREHISTORIC
STRUCTURES

- Monolith
- Dolmen/Cromlech
- Tumulus/Barrow

Tumulus - A burial mound, found all over the

world
 WEST ASIATIC
ARCHITECTURE
Fertile (entire nation is fertile) crescent (shape)
The development of human settlement started to
progress

Mesopotamia - kingdom of civilization

Influences of West Asiatic

Architecture
Geographical
- Earliest civilization of western asia
Monoliths - single upright stones known as
flourished in fertile plains of the twin
MENHIRS in Western France (ex. Moai
rivers.
structures)
- Plain of mesopotamia was irrigated by
Dolmen - two or more upright stones supporting
canals
a horizontal slab
- Civilization was built near bodies of
Cromlech - A Brythonic word used to describe
water
complex prehistoric megalithic structures
CROM (bent), and LLECH (Flagstone)
Geological
- Chaldea or Lower Mesopotamia : thick
mud and clay where no stone, no trees.
Walls were made from crude, sun-dried
brick
- Assyria: plenty of stone in the
mountains but followed Babylonians in
using bricks
- Persia : used hard colored limestone

Climatic
- Chaldea (Babylon): region of swamps
and flood
- Assyria: Fewer swamps, less miasma
- Persia: dry, hot climate, extreme heat
Example of Cromlech - Stonehenge
and cold

Religion
- Babylonia/Assyria: Polytheism
 Historical
Chief gods Babylonian
- Eannatum bought the first union of
Anu (sky) Marduk/A Shamash (sun)
shure Babylonian cities
(national - Hammurabi was established
god) - Babylonian power declined

Elil Ea (water) Sin Assyrian

(earth) (moon)/Ishtar
- Next conquered the Babylonia and
(passion/war)
remained great military power of
western asia until destruction of
- Persia: Monotheistic, did not follow Nineveh
influence of babylon, believed the final
triumph of good Persian
- Cyrus, made war on Croesus
Social - Cambyses, extended Persian conquest to
Egypt, produced marvelous buildings of
Memphis and Thebes
- Darius carried Persian arms to europe,
destroying famous ionic temple
- Xerxes met with defeat by the greeks
Conquored different lands to develop their lands

WESTERN ASIAN
ARCHITECTURE - ANATOLIA
- Between Black Mediterranean and
Aegean Sea

- Catal Huyuk
- Neolithic settlement
- Made of mud brick
- No doors and windows, only
roof hatches for access
 Geographical Bounded by two
rivers

Geological Used clay turned into

bricks

Climatic Dominated by floods

during rainfall
resulted for temples
on platforms

Religious Beliefs Symbolism and

polytheism

Socio-Political City-state, ruled by

kings
WESTERN ASIAN Historical Events Sumerians first ruled
ARCHITECTURE - over mesopotamia
MESOPOTAMIA
- Greek word meaning Mesos (middle) Bricks - sizes change from one period to
potamos (river) another, dried in the sun
- Between rivers (Tigris and Euphrates)
- Writing was developed (cuneiform) Cities used mud bricks that were perishable
- Mud brick was abundant which resulted with very few architecture in
Mesopotamia
The periods and kingdoms that flourished
in mesopotamia ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Massiveness, Monumentality, Grandeur
Sumeria Assyria Babylon
Babylonian Architecture
Architectural Plain
Character

Principal Materials Bricks

Constructive Method Arch and vault

Ziggurat
- most important structure
- Also called Holy mountains
Orientation of the four corners are towards the
four cardinal points
ZIGGURAT DEVELOPMENT Prince Gudea - important artifact, evidence of
1. Archaic Ziggurat sumerian plan lies in prince gudea
2. Two or more stages type ziggurat-multi
story
3. Assyrian type or seven stages ziggurat
(no stairs)
a. 7 Stages symbolizes 7 heavenly
planet

Mesopotamian temples - ornamental palace,

made of mud bricks

Dur Sharrukin - significant palace, importance

of palace rose

Post and Lintel - develop doors and passage

using post and lintel

Tower of Babel - spent huge amount of

construction projects in the land, 91 meters tall

Arch of Ctesiphon - persians, local stones, iron

collections, bought from corners of the empire

Mesopotamian sculpture - ceramic art, stones

 PARTS OF A PALACE

Seraglio King’s residence,

Men’s chamber

Harem Private family

apartment, women’s
chamber

Khan Service chamber

Ishtar Gate - 31 feet high

PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE

Architectural Light and Airy

Character

Principal Materials Stones

ASSYRIAN ARCHITECTURE
Constructive Method Columnar and
Trabeated
Architectural Plain
Character
- Walls covered with polychrome bricks
Principal Materials Bricks - Placed palaces on lofty platforms
Constructive Method Arch and Vault
Persians adopted certain features from the
conquered Assyrians such as:
PALACES - Chief structure - Raised platforms
- Temples were with or without a ziggurat - Sculptured monsters
- Placed their palaces on lofty platforms - Slabs of bas-relief
- Glazed and colored brickwork
WESTERN-ASIAN
ARCHITECTURE - PERSIA

Geographical/Geological Timber and colored

limestone

Climatic Dry and hot climate

Socio-political/Religious Regional autonomy,

beliefs coinage, tax system,
army and naval forces

Palace at Persepolis - 1500 x 1000 ft and 40 ft

above the plain

1. Palace of Darius - 10 ft high

2. Palace of Xerxes - 25,000 sqft..
3. Hypostyle Hall of Xerxes
4. Hall of Hundred Columns built by
Darius
5. Monumental Entrance to the platform
was the Propylaea by Xerxes
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN Religious Belief
ARCHITECTURE - Believes life after death
- Pharaoh is god
- Egyptians were traditional
- Civilization started because of nearby - Polytheistic practice
bodies of water (nile river) - Obssessed with the cult of the dead
- Pyramids were built for preservation
Geographical - Religion is dominant in their structures
- Land of Pharaohs, ancient name was
Kemi or Black Land Gods of Ancient Egypt
- A narrow strip of fertile, alluvial soil
- Only country of ancient world Theban Memphis Other gods
commanded outlets and intlets for Tried Triad
foreign trade Ammon (sun) Ptah (creator) Osiris (dead),
Isis (wife)

Mut (wife) Sekhmet Horus (sky),

(war) Hathor (love)

Khons Nepertem Set (evil),

(moon) (son) Serapis (bull
god)

Socio-Political
- Monarchy and Pharaoh ruled over
ancient egypt
- Nile river; Two lands - Black land
- Kings are called Pharaohs
(fertile), Red land (desert)
- Dynasty

INFLUENCES OF EGYPTIAN
Social Class
ARCHITECTURE
1. Pharaohs (great house)
Geological
2. Priests
- Stones (chief material): limestone,
3. Scribes
alabaster. Granite, sun-dried bricks,
4. Craftsman/Artists
acacia (boats), sycamore (mummy
5. Peasants
cases), date palm (roofings)
6. Slaves
- Poor in metal
- Little building timber
Historical Events
- Memphis was the capital of egypt
- Old kingdom
- Thebes replaced as capital of egypt
- Middle kingdom
- Late period
Climatic Factor
- Records of history were written in
- Very hot and dry climate with
Papyra and tablets
sandstorms
 - Custom to record history of temples on THE NEW KINGDOM (AGE OF
tombs and stelae
THE GREAT TEMPLES)
Egyptian History is Divided
A. Construction of Mountain-side terrace
funerary :temple of de’r el Bahari by
Archaic Period (dynasties 1-2)
Queen Hatshepsut
Three Kingdoms
B. Amenophis III built the temple at Luxor
- Old Kingdom (dynasties 3-9)
and erected the famous colossi of
- Middle kingdom (dynasties 9-17)
Memnon
- New kingdom (18-20)
C. Rameses I, Began the great Hypostyle
The Late period (dynasties 21-30)
Hall at Karnak
D. Rameses II, erected and finished the
THE OLD KINGDOM (AGE OF Great Hypostyle Hall and Rock Temple
PYRAMIDS) at Abu-Simbel
- Pharaohs were divided into 30 dynasties
- Menes - first dynastic king founded
Memphis

a. Mastaba or tomb houses - 1st type of

Egyptian tomb

b. Development of Hieroglyphic system

c. 4th dynasty - building of many pyramids

i. Seneferu at Medum and
Dahshur
ii. Great pyramid of Giza

THE MIDDLE KINGDOM

Great Hypostyle Hall
- Introduced other structures
- Obsession with tombs were declining
a. Rock-cut tomb
b. Erection of the 1st Obelisk at Heliopolis
built by Semusret I
c. Construction of the funerary temple of
Mentuhotep I, Deir-el-Bahari, built
during XI Dynasty
 E. Ptolemy became king
Columns Simplest forms of
a. Built Temple of Horus support, used to
b. Temple of Hathor record events

ARCHITECTURAL
SEVEN TYPES OF EGYPTIAN
CHARACTERISTICS
COLUMNS
1. Simplicity
2. Solidity Square pillar
3. Grandeur
Polygonal column
Materials Palm-type column (date palm)
- Sun-Baked Bricks made from puddled
clay and reeds Bud and Bell column (lotus bud)
- Stone and Granite seen in the later
Foliated capital column
monumental style
Hathor headed column ( prototype of caryatid)
System of Construction
- Columnar and Trabeated Osiris pillars
- Egyptian monumental architecture was
employed on pyramids, tombs and THREE MAIN TYPES OF TOMB
temples ARCHITECTURE
1. Mastabas or Bench tombs
Ornamentations - Rectangular, flat roofed
- Sphinxes - mythical monsters, with structure with slope sides (75
body of a lion and head of a man, hawk, deg.)
ram or woman
CONSISTS OF 3 PARTS
Religion
- The dominant element in their structures Inner Secret Contained statues of
Chamber (Serdab) deceased family
members
Plans Symmetry is the most
important rule Outer Upright stone slab
Chamber/Offering inscribed with the
Walls thick , solid and chamber with Stele name of the dead
unbroken, Interior
(hieroglyphs), Sarcophagus Chamber containing
Exterior (Batter the egyptian coffin
walls)

Openings Windows were not Other features

used 1. True door - used by followers for
offerings
Roofs Flat 2. False doors - used by spirit
 DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
PYRAMID
Offering Mortuary Valley Building
chapel Temple (embalment/inter
ment rites took
place)

THREE TYPES OF PYRAMID

1. Step Pyramid
2. Slope Pyramid
3. Bent Pyramid

Major Pyramids
2. Rock-Hewn or Cut Tombs - Gizeh, Dashfur, Sakkara
- Meant to offer the levels of comfort to
the dead person enjoyed in his former
life PYRAMIDS AT GIZEH
- Entire room were replicated around the 1. Great Pyramid of Cheops (Khufu) son
burial chamber, cut deep in the rock of Seneferu
- Sacrificial chambers were built on 2. Pyramid of Chefren (Khafra/Khafre) son
hillsides on the high west bank of nile of Cheops
- Used by Nobility 3. Pyramid of Mykerinos (Menkaura)
son-in-law of Chefren

TEMPLES - sanctuaries where kings and

priests can enter

3. The Royal Pyramids Two types of Temples

- Pyramid: a massive burial structure 1. Mortuary Temples - worship of
made of stone Pharaohs/built in honor of pharaohs
- Entrances on north side 2. Cult Temples - worship of gods
- Built by Kings as their tombs
 Ornaments - symbolical
Solar Disc

Vulture protection

Scarab resurrection

Papyrus, Lotus, Palm fertility

Grapes pattern eternity

Spiral and feathers Eternity

Sphinx - mythical monster with a body of a lion

and head of a man
PARTS OF TEMPLE

1. Entrance Pylon - massive sloping

towers fronting an obelisk
2. Large court open to the sky
3. Hypostyle hall - a pillared hall in which
the roof rest on columns

PARTS OF AN EGYPTIAN TEMPLE

- Pylon
- Hypaethral Court
- Hypostyle Hall
- Sanctuary
- Avenue of Sphinxes
Other elements in Egyptian Architecture

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ZIGGURAT

AND PYRAMID
Ziggurat - four corners oriented at cardinal
points
Pyramid - four sides oriented at cardinal points
AEGEAN
ARCHITECTURE
(ANCIENT GREECE)

GREEK ARCHITECTURE

INFLUENCES
Geography Bounded by Agean
sea and
Mediterranean sea
Minoan - first civilization, lived in Crete
Geology Uses Stones and
Marbles as main Mycenean - lived in Pelopennus, Greece
material mainland, peninsula

Religion Believed in Gods and

Goddesses
THE EARLY PERIOD (BC 2800
Socio-political Interest in music, - 1100)
dancing, gladiator
- Known as Pelagic, Primitive, or Aegean
fights, horse racing
- Rough and massive in character
Historical Aegean - Evident from recent excavations in
Mycenean Crete that the builders of this time had
Hellenistic skill in domestic architecture

Two principal early greek civilizations:

IMPORTANT ERAS DURING GREEK 1. CRETE AND THE MINOAN
CIVILIZATION CIVILIZATION
2. MAINLAND GREECE AND THE
Minoan Civilization - 2800 - 1400 BC MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION (Greek
Mycenaean Civilization - 1600 - 1100 BC mainland)
Trojan War - 1250 BC
Iliad and Odyssey (assume final form) - 8th MINOAN RELIGION
Century BC
Archaic Greek Period - 497 - 323 BC Polytheists Built shrines on
Construction of Parthenon - 458 BC housetops, hilltops,
Life of Plato - 427-347 BC caves
Conquest of Alexander the Great - 333 - 323 BC
Main god: Great Offerings include
Goddess human hair, fruit,
flowers, jewel, gold
 - Overpowered by Mycenaeans by 1400
BC Basic parts of column in Palace of King
- Site of a palace and labyrinthine maze Minos:
on the island of Crete, south of
Mainland
- Named after King Minos whose
minotaur–half man and half bull–was
kept in the labyrinth and fed Athenian
Youths
- The minotaur was killed by the
Athenian hero, Theseus, freeing Athens
from his rule.

AEGEAN CIVILIZATION
- Palaces are the main structure

Palace of King Minos (Palace of King Minos in - The remnants of the grand staircase of
Knossos) the palace at Knossos, Crete, built
around 1700 BC

MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION

- Built fortress-palaces on hilltops

- Unlike Minoans (not open palaces),
Mycenaeans have fortified palaces.
- Engaged in farming and traded gold and
bronze

- Learned from Minoans: Shipbuilding,

- The remaining architectural structure navigation, gold and bronze work,
that is still intact fashion, art, and writing

- Better warriors than traders (pirates)

- Became the most powerful people in the
Aegean world by 1400 BC Trojan war
conquered by Dorians
- Mycenaeans conquered the Greek Mainland
and Crete
Dominated the Aegean from 1400 to 1200 BC.
Traded with Sicily, Italy, Egypt, and
Mesopotamia.
 domos in Tholoi or
- Absorbed Egyptian and Mesopotamian beehive tombs
influences and passed them on to later
greeks.

MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
The character of architecture is now chiefly
known from the walls, which are of three kinds
of masonry.

- King Agamemnon (one of the kings in

Mycenaean)

The Citadel Palace of Agamemnon

- Lion Gate
- Fortification BUILDING AND STRUCTURES
Wall Surfaces: Mycenean Palaces
CYCLOPEAN, Large rough stones piled - Found on hills and in fortified citadels,
Tiryns one on another, with and consisted of a number of religious
small pieces in the and domestic buildings.
interstices, and the whole
bound together with clay
Tholoi or Mycenaean Circular tombs with
mortar (Argos, Tiryns,
Mycenae, Knossos, corbelled domes (Treasury of Atreus)
Athens) - Royal tombs built outside the citadel.
Walled passage connects to beehive
POLYGONAL many-sided blocks, corbelled vault tholos burial chamber
accurately worked to fit 15m diameter
together (acropolis wall
at Athens, Mycenae,
Cnidos) , irregularly
formed but fit one
another

CURVILINEAR

RECTANGULAR Rectangular blocks in

regular courses, but the
joints between stones in
the same course are not
always vertical (entrance
& tower at Mycenae,
entrance passages or
 - Royal tomb of king agamemnon

Megaron (ceremonial hall in Mycenaean

palaces)
- Was the chieftain’s palace within the
citadel. It was unicellular structure with
columned portico, vestibule and hearth
(a configuration similar to that of
temple-house of the gods)

Temple
- A timber house that eventually became a
marble shrine. It was always a house,
never a place of assembly (never like a
church but always set on the highest
place in town, in a sacred enclosure or
better in its own citadel)

COMPARING MYCENAEAN
AND MINOAN PALACES

MINOAN MYCENAEAN

Heart of the Minoan Mycenaean palace is

palace is the central the Megaron (king's
court (where ceremonial halls
principal activity, where kings rites and
ritual, social, and ritual for the gods are
famous bull dance conducted)
took place)

Counterparts in plan More formal

(developed)

No particular axiality, An axial approach

the path is not organizes the plan
straight. The layout is
described as
labyrinthine

Sited on a flat land Citadel is sited on a

creating symbolic mountain top with a
relationship with palace at the summit.
surrounding It is more fortified.
mountains