Ancient Architecture and Construction History Research Papers (original) (raw)
Tartaria (originally pronounced “Tataria” without the first “r”) is the name of the pre Mongolian empire that originated in northern Asia before spanning the entire northern hemisphere. Great Tartaria was the largest empire during its... more
Tartaria (originally pronounced “Tataria” without the first “r”) is the name of the pre Mongolian empire that originated in northern Asia before spanning the entire northern hemisphere. Great Tartaria was the largest empire during its time and would have still been the largest empire today. The Tartarian empire flourished due in part of the civilization being a leader in advanced technology, free energy, and grand architecture.
Tartaria is also where the Greek word “Tartarus” originated from.
The denotation of lost souls spending eternity in Tartarus the underworld is due to the Tartarian Empire having been buried and wiped out during the mud flood. The world of the Tartarians is literally the world under our world. The underworld. Tartarus wasn’t the underworld and will never be the underworld. Tartaria is the underworld. The religionists used the Mud Flood deluge and how it wiped out the Tartarian Empire to confuse the populous into thinking they would join those in the “underworld” if they challenged the religious authority.
Who were the Tartarians?
The Tartarians (or Tartars) were the indigenous people (quite possibly founded by Noah’s sons) making up the world renowned Tartarian empire. The Tartarians were a tall people, averaging some eight to twelve feet in height. They would have been considered giants to our current average height of only around six feet; however, back then the height of ten feet was the average. Like the civilizations before them whose heights averaged twelve feet, fifty feet, two+ miles, etc…each preceding civilization had an average taller height than the civilizations coming after them and each succeeding civilization had an average shorter height than the civilizations predating them. Statures are diminishing after each deluge and with each new astrological age we enter.
Civilizations in the current astrological age (the Age of Pisces) are shorter in height than civilizations that existed in the previous astrological age (the Age of Aries) and will be taller in height than civilizations that will exist in the next astrological age (the Age of Aquarius).
The Tartarians are thought to have been “Breatherians,” a being who does not rely on the digestion and burning of calories from food/water, but instead rather receives energy straight from the aether. The aether is thought to be the very fabric of the space time continuum that some would associate with electrons, the wind, the holy spirit, the atmosphere, and the gasses in the atmosphere such as oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. Since the The Tartarians quite possibly had a completely altered digestion system than the one we now have, they had no need for toilets in their bathrooms. Which could hint at one of the reasons why bathrooms in the recent past have been used quite extensively as social gathering powder rooms to not only freshen oneself up but to hear and spread local gossip.
The Tartarians were masters of masonry, brickwork, steam punk style technology, universally free energy, and grand architecture. Their Roman/Gothic esque style architecture can still be found in the current guise as water ducts, city halls, banks, water stations, cathedrals, churches, hospitals and similar public and city works type buildings.
De las casas-torre defensivas (s. XIV-XV) a los primeros palacios gótico-renacentistas de principios del XVI, las Residencias Señoriales fueron evolucionando durante el periodo bajomedieval, adaptándose a las necesidades... more
De las casas-torre defensivas (s. XIV-XV) a los primeros palacios gótico-renacentistas de principios del XVI, las Residencias Señoriales fueron evolucionando durante el periodo bajomedieval, adaptándose a las necesidades de cada momento. La casa-torre de Nograro es un buen ejemplo de esta evolución hacia un nuevo modelo más residencial. Junto a la torre, de reducidas dimensiones en planta, se construyó un palacio anexo, buscando cierto confort. Tanto la torre como el palacio fueron construidas a finales del siglo XIV por Diego López de Salazar, sobre las ruinas de una construcción anterior.
Este trabajo ha tenido como objetivo analizar el sistema constructivo de una Residencia Señorial Bajomedieval defensiva. La labor desarrollada se ha llevado a cabo en tres apartados complementarios: la labor de campo, la investigación documental y el análisis histórico-constructivo del edificio.
Se ha podido determinar el sistema constructivo original de la torre y, parcialmente, el del palacio. Los muros están realizados en mampostería bien trabajada, sobre todo en el Palacio, con sillares en vanos y esquinales. El material empleado en estos paramentos es heterogéneo, aunque destaca el uso caliza en la parte baja de la torre y en el interior de la misma, posiblemente elementos reaprovechados de la construcción anterior. Estos muros tienen un rebaje o retallo en su interior a la altura del primer piso, donde se apoyan directamente los solivos. Los pisos superiores, en cambio, disponen de unas vigas centrales de gran escuadría que van empotradas directamente en los muros, ya que no existe rebaje alguno del muro del el primer al último piso. Es muy probable que la cubierta se rematase mediante una cubierta a cuatro aguas, que volaba hasta la línea de los matacanes.
La labor realizada se inscribe dentro de una tesis doctoral que pretende estudiar la evolución del sistema constructivo de las Residencias Señoriales Bajomedievales en el País Vasco.
published in Antichità tardoromane e medievali nel territorio di Bracciano, Atti della giornata di studi, Bracciano, Castello Odescalchi 15 giugno 1991, Viterbo 1994, pp. 97-124. The analysis of three medieval churches in the area... more
published in Antichità tardoromane e medievali nel territorio di Bracciano, Atti della giornata di studi, Bracciano, Castello Odescalchi 15 giugno 1991, Viterbo 1994, pp. 97-124.
The analysis of three medieval churches in the area surrounding the Lake of Bracciano (ca. 20 miles North of Rome) gives the opportunity to consider some decorative motifs in the masonry technique that recall the Roman Architecture of the Imperial age. We can observe in some parts of the ecclesiastical buildings the imitation of ancient Roman opus reticulatum, opus spicatum, and opus vittatum. In the church of St. Catherine in Trevignano the quality of reused opus reculatum gives almost the impression of an ancient building. These cases don’t appear, anyway, as an ideological reference to the Imperial Rome, as it occurs in other Medieval buildings in Europe, especially during the Carolingian era.
Until 1993 there were conducted first excavations in what promised to be the site of one of the most important buildings of Petra, the stunning capital of the Nabataean kingdom. Its construction, whose initiation century BC, several... more
Until 1993 there were conducted first excavations in what promised to be the site of one of the most important buildings of Petra, the stunning capital of the Nabataean kingdom. Its construction, whose initiation century BC, several changes, reconstructions and landslides along its more than five hundred years of operation. But despite this still unknown for certain functions for which it was designed and that, regardless of the construction elements, materials have been located just still less inscriptions that shed some light on a mystery that will try here exhibit various theories that enable closer to resolution.
Most remarkable in Roman brickwork – opus testaceum – are the shapes of the bricks as they were laid triangularly or polygonally with their longest edge to the face. These shapes were used to achieve the best bonding between the brick... more
Most remarkable in Roman brickwork – opus testaceum – are the shapes of the bricks as they were laid triangularly or polygonally with their longest edge to the face. These shapes were used to achieve the best bonding between the brick mantle and the inner core, which was made from mortar and caementa. Originally the bricks were produced as cuboids: comparatively flat square shapes in standardized dimensions with an edge length of 2/3, 1 ½ or 2 Roman feet. So, the bricks had to be divided up into triangular or polygonal construction material. Mainly three different assumptions of the dividing methods are given in literature – one before firing, two after firing. Besides tackling the questions, what kinds of tools were used, how exactly Roman bricks were divided, who did this and how long it took, the study aims at a better understanding of Roman building processes.
In a first step Roman brick surfaces, mainly in Rome and Latium, were analyzed to classify the features. Next a differentiation was made between those surfaces originating from the brick core, which show the visible result of the former division operation and their counterparts, which feature the traces of the former molding and are easier to recognize. Some processing traces, which are characteristic of the division operation, have been identified. In order to understand these observations and to interpret them appropriately 20 bessales-sized bricks were manufactured. Subsequently various dividing methods were tested on these bricks.
RESUMEN La construcción de una bóveda de crucería requiere la ejecución de una importante estructura: las cimbras. Comparada con la estructura de madera que requiere una bóveda románica, las cimbras de una bóveda de crucería se han... more
RESUMEN La construcción de una bóveda de crucería requiere la ejecución de una importante estructura: las cimbras. Comparada con la estructura de madera que requiere una bóveda románica, las cimbras de una bóveda de crucería se han simplificado considerablemente, lo que explica su rotundo éxito. Estas estructuras auxiliares podían elevar enormemente el coste de la obra, suponiendo en algunos casos la tala de bosques completos, fuente de recursos en el Medioevo. Por ello el maestro de obras siempre se verá obligado a ingeniar nuevos sistemas para la simplificación y la reducción de su uso en obra. El profundo estudio geométrico y estereotómico que hemos realizado de las bóvedas sexpartitas eu-ropeas, las grandes protagonistas del gótico primitivo, nos ha permitido plantear hipótesis sobre los medios auxiliares que hicieron posible su construcción. Para ello se han medido las principales bóvedas sexpartitas de Europa Occidental con estación total, escáner láser o fotogrametría. Únicamente la construcción permite alcanzar un profundo conocimiento que la especulación teórica no puede lograr. Gracias al montaje de una bóveda sexpartita a escala 1/3 en la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, hemos podido poner en práctica las hipótesis teóricas planteadas previamente, así como revelar las destrezas necesarias para la puesta en obra de tan complejas estructuras. La construcción de la bóveda comienza con el montaje de una plataforma horizontal de trabajo donde apoyarían las cimbras de los arcos, situada en el nivel superior de las jarjas o sobre la línea de imposta cuando la bóveda carece de jarjamentos. Los nervios con grandes peraltes requerían el apoyo de sus cimbras a distintas alturas, complicando el diseño de estas plataformas. Las primeras cimbras se cons-truyen a partir de distintas curvaturas o presentan una estandarización parcial, sin embargo a medida que se desarrolla el sistema la estandarización es completa. Además, la evolución de las secciones de los nervios indicaría la transformación del diseño de las cimbras, para conseguir un mayor control de la calidad de la obra, como ya indicaban Choisy y Fitchen. Esta comunicación pretende poner de mani-fiesto el diseño y evolución de los medios auxiliares necesarios para llevar a cabo la construcción de las primeras bóvedas góticas y los procesos que habrían permitido simplificar y reutilizar estas estructuras.
Paper presented at the "11. Dresnder Farbenforum: Farbe in der Architektur", June 15 and 16 2017, Technical University of Dresden
Τhe same natural water sources, which enabled people to settle the island of Thera in the 8th cent. BC, are still visible today on the hill of Mesa Vouno. An extensive infrastructure for the exploitation of rainwaters was established in... more
Τhe same natural water sources, which enabled people to settle the island of Thera in the 8th cent. BC, are still visible today on the hill of Mesa Vouno. An extensive infrastructure for the exploitation of rainwaters was established in the city of ancient Thera on Mesa Vouno, which is striking for the quality of its construction as well as the inventiveness of its builders. Rainwater followed the course that was prescribed for its storage, from the flat roof-tops to underground cisterns. The water on the roof of the temple of Apollo Karneios followed a comparable route, the careful tracing of which is a valuable instrument for solving structural riddles.
Sexpartite vaults constitute one of the most interesting chapters in European Gothic architecture. Originally, the use of the square cross-ribbed vault was limited to relatively small spaces, but when the need arose to cover spaces of... more
Sexpartite vaults constitute one of the most interesting chapters in European Gothic architecture. Originally, the use of the square cross-ribbed vault was limited to relatively small spaces, but when the need arose to cover spaces of considerable size, a new vault with very peculiar characteristics appeared. This new vault was a cross-ribbed vault that was reinforced in the centre by a rib that was parallel to the transverse ribs which effectively divided the vault in half. This configuration breaks the side arch into two fragments, creating a pair of windows on each side. The volumetrics of these vaults is extremely complex and the difficulties involved in their construction perhaps explain why they were abandoned in favour of the simple cross ribbed vault, now with rectangular sections. The existence of the sexpartite vault barely lasted more than fifty years, from the end of the XII century and the beginning of the XIII. Towards the end of the 19th century Viollet-le-Duc gave a succinct explanation of this type of vault. A. Choisy also, later, devotes some pages to the French sexpartite vault; since then, the subject has only been broached in a few references in later studies on Gothic architecture. However , despite its short period of existence, the sexpartite vault spread throughout Europe and was used to build important vaulting. Viollet-le-Duc's sexpartite vault could be considered to be the prototype of them all, while it is true that the studies that we have conducted so far lead us to affirm that there is a wide variety of vaults, with different volumetric spaces and different construction strategies. Therefore, we believe that this chapter of international Gothic deserves further study applying the knowledge and resources that are available today. This paper has been written to explore the most significant European sexpartite vaults. New measurement technology has led to a revolution in research into the history of construction, allowing studies to be conducted that were hitherto impossible. Thorough data collection using total station and photogrammetry has enabled us to identify the stereotomy of the voussoirs, tas-de-charges and keystones, as well as the bonding of the surfaces of the severies. A comparison of the construction techniques employed in the different vaults studied reveals common construction features and aspects that are specific to each country. Thus we are able to establish the relationship between sexpartite vaults in different European countries and their influence on each other.
The Alexandria lighthouse must have been one of the finest examples of Hellenistic masonry construction. Being made of dry stone masonry it was audaciously high. To be structurally sound and perfectly functional its builders conceived a... more
The Alexandria lighthouse must have been one of the finest examples of Hellenistic masonry construction. Being made of dry stone masonry it was audaciously high. To be structurally sound and perfectly functional its builders conceived a massive structure with rooms and corridors covered with stone slabs and lintels, and a central cavity to lift materials along its construction and during its use. Its model must have inspired the Arabic architects of western Islam who transferred the conception of the solid tower with a spiral ramp with superimposed rooms in the three gigantic minarets of the second half of the 12th century.
Developed in Mesoamerica between 1,500 B.C. and 1,500 A.D., the ancient Maya civilisation reached an advanced understanding in various fields of knowledge, which can still be seen today in its many architectural remains. Maya architecture... more
Developed in Mesoamerica between 1,500 B.C. and 1,500 A.D., the ancient Maya civilisation reached an advanced understanding in various fields of knowledge, which can still be seen today in its many architectural remains.
Maya architecture has been studied from multidisciplinary perspectives, including some architectural surveys, which have made it possible to identify important, regional differences in its architectural production in terms of its typological, aesthetic, and formal development. As a result, different architectural styles are currently associated with geographical areas, revealing a long constructional tradition.
Particularly noteworthy is the Puuc architecture in the Yucatan peninsula, with some extraordinary examples of buildings created by ancient Maya stonemasons during the Classical period. Located in the Ancient City of Uxmal, the Palace of the Governor stands out from the rest of the Puuc buildings, among other reasons because of the technical quality achieved in the stonework of its ashlars, vault stones, and mosaic-type decorative pieces, which demonstrates exceptional advances in stonecutting techniques.
Despite the great interest in Puuc architecture over the past century, with some important architectural surveys as those from Harry E. D. Pollock, George F. Andrews, and Paul Gendrop, there is still a lack of specialised studies on the constructional aspects of these buildings.
In this communication, we propose the study of the Palace of the Governor from the point of view of stereotomy. Based on George F. Andrews’ identification of specialised stones required for the construction of a classic Puuc building, we classify the different pieces that make up the Palace of the Governor, therefore creating its own chart. Together with drawings, this chart will allows us to identify and study those pieces where there is an evident need to specify the form as a previous step to the cutting process.
This work is part of an ongoing PhD research about stonecutting in Maya architecture, which aims to deepen our knowledge of how the Maya stonemasons, by means of stereotomy, ensured the correct fitting of the stone pieces in the construction of their buildings.
Due to the lack of clay and trees, Armenian architecture makes intensive use of hewn stone; this fosters the use of complex geometrical schemes that may recall at first sight Western stereotomy of later periods. The scriptorium or library... more
Due to the lack of clay and trees, Armenian architecture makes intensive use of hewn stone; this fosters the use of complex geometrical schemes that may recall at first sight Western stereotomy of later periods. The scriptorium or library of the Monastery of Sanahin is a notable example of these constructions. Located in the northeastern corner of the monastery, between the churches of Saint Astavacacin and Saint Gregory, the library was built in 1063, under the patronage of Princess Anuš, the daughter of David Lackland, using only dressed stone as apparent material ). The library is laid out on a square plan; a second rotated square is inscribed in the exterior one, with its corners placed at the midpoints of the sides of the outer square. Without an obvious reason to do so, the four triangles between both squares are covered with different members. Trumpet squinches are laid over two diagonally opposed triangles, while pairs of ramping half-barrel vaults meeting at right angles are placed over the other triangles; in Western terms, we could say this later triangles are covered by
one half of a cloister or pavilion vault, cut along the diagonal of the plan. The lesser, inscribed square is materialized by four arches that support four approximately spherical pendentives, although the bed joints are not exactly horizontal. On top of the spandrels lies a circular ring that supports a vault with eight pseudo-cylindrical severies, featuring horizontal mouldings along the bed joints and crowned by an oculus. Taking into account its early date, the precision of the execution of this ensemble is quite remarkable. In this paper, we shall analyze the geometry of this
ensemble, using a precise survey based on crossing-image photogrammetry. This will allow us to confront this building with Mediaeval European stereotomy: Armenian solutions to these problems do not seem to arise from a preconceived idea about geometrical generation of forms, as usual in the West, but rather from the will to materialize complex spaces, in apparently well-dressed stone.
The curious case of the 60 degree pyramid
From the Neolithic age mankind has transmitted the rituals of his own period after thousands of years with meaning attribution to megalithic structures. Within the history of civilization, different societies have developed their own... more
From the Neolithic age mankind has transmitted the rituals of his own period after thousands of years with meaning attribution to megalithic structures. Within the history of civilization, different societies have developed their own building types and these constructions reflected the allegories of their own society. Expressions can be conveyed to concrete as painting, sign, color or figure, or can be kept alive in areas such as form, function, material and fittings as the subject of construction. All these facts should be considered as '' indicator '' in order to reveal the unique cultures. In this study a method for allegorical analyses was created and stylizations were drawn with the photographs of the tombs of Lycia. The analyzes are given under headings; function, form, facade, color-pattern, interior parts & component. With this allegorical critical analysis method, it will be possible to solve the hidden meanings in prehistoric and ancient historic period. Consequently allegory analysis study is also a research for the cultural significance on architectural constructs intensifies aesthetic and functional aspects. Öt: İnsanoğlu neolitik çağdan itibaren megalitik yapı gruplarına yüklediği anlamlar ile binlerce yıl sonrasına kendi dönemlerinin ritüellerini aktarmıştır. Uygarlık tarihi içinde farklı toplumlar kendi yapı tiplerini geliştirmişler ve bu yapılara kendi toplumlarının alegorilerini yansıtmışlardır. Çalışmada Lykia uygarlığı'nın özgün kültürünü ortaya çıkarmak için mezar yapıları, mimaride alegorik eleştirel analiz yöntemi doğrultusunda; işlev, cephe, donatı, renk-desen başlıkları altında incelenmiştir. Yapılan analizler, geliştirilen alegorik eleştirel analiz yönteminin, özellikle antik dönem mimarlık yapılarında uygarlıkların yaşamlarını, kültürlerini, duygularını anlamımıza yardımcı sistematik yol olduğunu kanıtlamıştır. Bu yöntemle özellikle prehistorik dönem insanlarının amaçlarını, tabletler gibi yazılı kaynakların olmadığı dönemlerde, alegorilerde saklı yan anlamlar üzerinden çözülebileceğini söylemek mümkün olacaktır. Benzeri tarihi mimari yapılarda kültürel anlamlar yüklemenin estetik ve işlevsel yönleri kuvvetlendirdiği görülmüştür. Anahtar Kelimeler: Mimari Alegoriler, Likya Mezar Yapıları, Antik dönem yapıları analizi, Alegori
rom the Contents: Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. Preliminary Considerations; 2. Major Advances in Knowledge About the Pantheon; Part II. Roman Design and Construction: 3. Standard Design Procedures; 4. Concrete Construction; 5. General... more
rom the Contents:
Preface; Part I. Introduction: 1. Preliminary Considerations; 2. Major Advances in Knowledge About the Pantheon; Part II. Roman Design and Construction: 3. Standard Design Procedures; 4. Concrete Construction; 5. General Sources of Design; 6. Specific Sources of Design and Construction; Pert III: Preliminary Design Phase: 7. The Site; 8. Structural Design; Part IV. Concretre Construction: 9. Lower Drum and Block; 10. Upper Drum and Block; 11. Dome; Part V. Embellishment: 12. Comparison of the Ordes: 13. The Porticoes; 14. Finishing; Conlusions.
Owing to the facts that Viminacium has, for centuries, had its buildings destroyed and that small number of buildings have been investigated so far, there are only a very few visible traces of its architecture. Therefore, the study of... more
Owing to the facts that Viminacium has, for centuries, had its buildings destroyed and that small number of buildings have been investigated so far, there are only a very few visible traces of its architecture.
Therefore, the study of construction materials and building techniques represents just a small contribution to the general study of its architecture.Locally produced brick and stone from the nearby quarry, bound with lime mortar, represented basic construction materials of Viminacium. Those, available
materials, influenced the development of the applied building techniques.
Keywords: Viminacium, green schist, brick, limestone, lime mortar, “crvenka“, opus incertum mixtum, opus testaceum, “trpanac“, pozzolanic feature.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the tallest building in the world made of bricks, Qutub Minar is a 73meter high tower that consists of five storeys and a spiral staircase with 379 steps. Built-in red sandstone, Qutub Minar is a real... more
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the tallest building in the world made of bricks, Qutub Minar is a 73meter high tower that consists of five storeys and a spiral staircase with 379 steps. Built-in red sandstone, Qutub Minar is a real masterpiece of Mughal Islamic craftsmanship. The design is based on the Minaret of Jam located in Western Afghanistan, which marks where the ancient city of Firuzkuh once stood. The complex in which it stands is regarded as one of the most famous arrays of historical monuments in Delhi, so if you’re traveling to India it’s highly likely that you’ll find yourself (at some stage) in front of this famous minaret. But with so much cultural heritage tied to one monument, it would be a shame to not write about it to appreciate the story or history behind it.
The "Trugli" of the Baths of Pozzuoli. Image and Fortune of Two Ancient Thermal Buildings The seismic activity and the earthquakes that hit the area of the Campi Flegrei in 1536-1538 led to the destruction of two thermal buildings, called... more
The "Trugli" of the Baths of Pozzuoli. Image and Fortune of Two Ancient Thermal Buildings The seismic activity and the earthquakes that hit the area of the Campi Flegrei in 1536-1538 led to the destruction of two thermal buildings, called "trugli", which were part of the complex of Baths at Pozzuoli, the existence of which is proven by some precious drawings of the 15 th and 17 th centuries. By correlating an analysis of these drawings by Giuliano da Sangallo, Antoine Morillon, Pirro Ligorio, Giovan Battista Montano and others with a study of the literary, topographical, and archaeological sources relating to the Campi Flegrei, one can reconstruct, at least hypothetically, the history and characteristics of the two "trugli". The first, with a dodecagonal plan, was in Tripergole, a village near the Lake of Lucrino; the second, by contrast, had a centralized space surrounded by eight smaller rooms, and was located on the coast of Pozzuoli. The latter, particularly, may also have been used by later architects as an all'antica model, as evidenced by the similarities with some projects by Filippo Brunelleschi and Leonardo da Vinci.
This book studies six vaulting techniques employed in architecture outside of Rome and asks why they were invented where they were and how they were disseminated. Most of the techniques involve terracotta elements in various forms, such... more
This book studies six vaulting techniques employed in architecture outside of Rome and asks why they were invented where they were and how they were disseminated. Most of the techniques involve terracotta elements in various forms, such as regular flat bricks, hollow voussoirs, vaulting tubes, and armchair voussoirs. Each one is traced geographically via GIS mapping, the results of which are analyzed in relation to chronology, geography, and historical context. The most common building type in which the techniques appear is the bath, demonstrating its importance as a catalyst for technological innovation. This book also explores trade networks, the pottery industry, and military movements in relation to building construction, revealing how architectural innovation was influenced by wide-ranging cultural factors, many of which stemmed from local influences rather than imperial intervention.
L’archéologie montre que les habitants de la Vallée du Nil s’étaient offert un large éventail de couvrements voûtés, variant les techniques de mise en œuvre en fonction de la forme désirée et du matériau utilisé . Pour couvrir les vastes... more
L’archéologie montre que les habitants de la Vallée du Nil s’étaient offert un large éventail de couvrements voûtés, variant les techniques de mise en œuvre en fonction de la forme désirée et du matériau utilisé . Pour couvrir les vastes volumes des magasins et entrepôts, la vie civile réclamait une architecture à sa portée en matière de rapidité d’exécution et de ressources aisément disponibles. Elle avait donc généralisé l’usage de la brique crue, et privilégié les constructions limitant l’emploi d’échafaudages.
La voûte dite « nubienne » est le résultat de ses diverses contraintes matérielles. Mais l’économie de moyens ne doit pas occulter le caractère novateur de cette invention dont l’origine se perd dans les temps les plus reculés de la civilisation pharaonique .
Celle-ci connaît un regain d’intérêt dans les pays sahéliens actuels, en étant reproduite suivant des méthodes traditionnelles qui n’étaient probablement pas étrangères aux anciens Égyptiens. Cet article propose un état de la question.
Concrete Vaulted Construction in Imperial Rome examines the methods and techniques that enabled builders to construct some of the most imposing monuments of ancient Rome. Focusing on structurally innovative vaulting and the factors that... more
Concrete Vaulted Construction in Imperial Rome examines the methods and techniques that enabled builders to construct some of the most imposing monuments of ancient Rome. Focusing on structurally innovative vaulting and the factors that influenced its advancement, Lynne Lancaster also explores a range of related practices, including lightweight pumice as aggregate, amphoras in vaults, vaulting ribs, metal tie bars, and various techniques of buttressing. She provides the geological background of the local building stones and applies mineralogical analysis to determine material provenance, which in turn relates to trading patterns and land use. Lancaster also examines construction techniques in relation to the social, economic, and political contexts of Rome, in an effort to draw connections between changes in the building industry and the events that shaped Roman society from the early empire to late antiquity.
This study traces the development of Roman architecture and its sculpture from the earliest days to the middle of the 5th century BCE. Existing narratives cast Greeks as the progenitors of classical art and architecture or rely on... more
This study traces the development of Roman architecture and its sculpture from the earliest days to the middle of the 5th century BCE. Existing narratives cast Greeks as the progenitors of classical art and architecture or rely on historical sources dating centuries after the fact to establish the Roman context. Hopkins allows the material and visual record to play the primary role in telling the story of Rome’s roots, synthesizing important new evidence from recent excavations. From the late 7th century, Romans looked to increasingly distant lands for shifts in artistic production. By the end of the archaic period they were building temples that would outstrip the monumentality of even those on the Greek mainland. The book’s extensive illustrations feature new reconstructions, allowing readers a rare visual exploration of this fragmentary evidence. This is an excerpt.
In the mystery cult sanctuaries the initiation rite took place within a building conventionally called telesterion. So far the relationship between this specific function and the corresponding architectural typology has not been purpose... more
In the mystery cult sanctuaries the initiation rite took place within a building conventionally called telesterion. So far the relationship between this specific function and the corresponding architectural typology has not been purpose of studies. In this article the occurrence of the term telesterion in literary and epigraphic sources will be discussed and a catalogue of archaeologically recognisable buildings for initiation into the mysteries will be presented, in order to highlight their planimetric and functional features.
Form and function of light in architecture between Antiquity and the Fifteenth Century, through the analysis of the texts of Pausanias, Vitruvius, Pliny the Elder, Julian of Ascalon, Isidore of Seville, Pius II Piccolomini, Leon Battista... more
Form and function of light in architecture between Antiquity and the Fifteenth Century, through the analysis of the texts of Pausanias, Vitruvius, Pliny the Elder, Julian of Ascalon, Isidore of Seville, Pius II Piccolomini, Leon Battista Alberti and Antonio Manetti.