Professional Documents
Culture Documents
T HE TRUE ARCH:
by
David J. E ccott
Summary
The true arch is said not to bave been koown to the ancient high cultures of PreColumbian
America. Evidence is sougbt to determine wbetber this is true.
41
used, or in some way modified by man to Egyptians, Babylonians, and Greeks, but was
serve as an arch. Therefore, our discussion is considered unsuitable for monumental
confmed purely to those ancient high cultures construction. Although the Assyrians bu ilt
ofboth the Old and New Worlds that designed palaces with arched ceilings, true arch
and built monumental constructions and were construction was never fu lly exploited by tIle
faced with the problem of spanning the space ancient peoples of the Old World, and it was
between walls, piers, or other supports in generally used for secular structures such as
order to create a roof or ceiling. In order to storerooms and sewers. For instance, the
achieve this, only two techniques are possible. Etruscans employed true arches in drains and
One method is to construct a so-ca11ed "true tombs, but never used a true arch to span a
arch", and the other method is known as wide space in monumental building
constructing a so-ca lIed "corbeled arch". construction. The Romans, in contrast, were
the first to develop the true arch on a massive
IN ORDER TO determine the difference scale. They engineered it to perfection and
between the true and corbeled arch; let us first used it in structures such as amphitheatres,
consider the construction technique of the true palaces, and aqueducts. In many cases the
arch. Romans did not use mortar, but relied on the
precision of their stone dressing. Subsequent
The True Arch: developments in later ages, incl ud ing the
pointed, scalloped, horseshoe, and ogee (S
The true arch (Figure 1), also known as the curve) arches for mosques and palaces, are
round arch, semicircular arch, masonry arch, really elaborate variations upon, what is
and the Roman arch, is basically a rigid span essentially, a true arch construction technique.
curving upwards between two points of
support such as walls or piers. The points ASERIES of true arches can be connected
from which the curve rises from its vertical together, so to speak, to form a roof or ceiling
supports are known as springs. The curve for a room. When this occurs it is known as a
itself consists of wedge-shaped blocks of barrel (or tu nnel) vault. A major difficully
stone or brick ca11ed voussoirs that press when building a true arch or barrel vault is the
aga inst one another for support. The central fact that a temporary supporting structure
voussoir is known as the keystone. The must be erected within the vau lted area during
stresses in the true arch te nd to squeeze the construction. This is due to the fact that a
voussoirs outward in a radial manner, and masonry vault does not become self
loads divert these outward forces downward supporting until the central voussoir
to exert a diagonal force, called thrust, which (keystone) is put in place.
can cause the arch to collapse if it is not
buttressed. One of the principal advantages of
the true arch is the extremely wide span that A dome is a spherical vault resting on a
can be achieved. Indeed, it was original1y circular base wall.
developed to connect a greater distance
between two supports than a single horizontal
beam, or lintel, could bridge. The Corbeled Arch:
The corbeled arch (Figure 2A), sometimes
The true arch was, in a11 probability, invented
known as the false arch, is far easier to
in Mesopotamia during the 4th millennium
construct than the true arch. A corbeled
B.C .. lt was known to many ancient societies
arch has the shape of an inverted "V". It
of the Old World including the Sumerians,
42
& l/tlJUJ'UW. Issue 2003
a on
1: 111. . . . . . ."',....
showing a trne its componcnts.
Migration & Diffosion, Voi.4 , Issue Number 13, 2003
Figure 2B: Maya corbeled arch at Kabah, Yucatan, Mcxico. Corbeled arches such as tbis are
found tbrougbout the Maya region. Tbey are a hallmark ofMaya architecture.
Pboto: D. Eccott.
44
Migration & Diffusion, Vol.4, Issue Nllmber 13, 2003
Figure 3A: Trilobate areb at Palenque. Altbougb it bas tbe smootb, rounded appearanee of
tbe true arcb, it i~ a eorbeled areh.
Photo: D. Eeeott.
46
Migration & Diffusion, V o/. 4, ü Slte NlIlJlber 13, 2003
Figure 3B: Diagrarn showing inner core of tbe trilobate arcb at Palanque,
wbicb reveaJs ist eorbeled constructiou.
Stephen Jett also considers this aspect. He many aneient Old World peoples were
points out that absences are not eonsidered aware of, and able to eonstruet the true
decisive by diffusionists and quotes Ekholm areh, but rejected it because they considered
as saying ' What is selected (from a donor it unsuitable. Tberefore it could be argued
culture) is dependent upon a multitude of that the trait (in this ease, rejection rather
faetors that eombine in numerable ways, so than adoplion) was the one that was
general mies of how it ean be expected to conveyed through contaet Furthermore, in
work in any given situation are almost southeast Asia, the area from which many
impossible to make.,2 Jet also quotes Heine scholarly diffusionists consider that the
Geldern who dealt specifieally with the main thrust ofOld World influenee upon the
problem of the true areh, drawing attention high civilizations of the New World
to the fact tbat 'Tbe absence of tbe true arch originated, temple eentres were eonstructed
in Arneriea is often stressed by witb eorbeled arebes until the fifteenth
Americanists. They obviously believe that eentury A.D .. Therefore, if indeed contact
that the (true) areh was known in eastern was made between the Maya world and
Asia sinee hoary antiquity. Aetually it southeast Asia, it is hardly surprising that
became known in China only at the time of the eorbeled arch, ratber than the true arch~
the Han dynasty (205 B.C. to AD. 220]. ... might have been the method that was
Again.... it was never adopted by the diffused to become a fundamental
peoples of Champa [in Annam], Cambodia, construction technique ofthe Maya.
Java, ete., who were in elose contact with
Even so, this still leaves the question of
the Chinese.,3 In short, it is known that
47
;
,
I
I
•
1 meier
2 meters
Migmtion & Diffusion, Vo1.4, Issue Number 13, 2003
weil acquainted witb all its variations, and it the course of their extensive experience in
is probably fair to say that they were the construction of stone and mortar roofs
predisposed toward fmding nothing more discover by chance or through intentional
thau the usual variations. They nevertheless experimentation the principle of true arch
made and published the drawings we see construction? Or is this a trait that must be
here and interpreted what they saw as an listed among those that give some indication
example of a true arch. of influence from the extra-American
civilizations? Second, why is it that this
' This quite convincing evidence for the
seemingly good evidence for the aneient
existence of a barrel vault in a building of
Maya having known the true arch was
the late Classic Period in the Central Maya
published over twenty years aga and since
area is of special importance fOT two
that time has been scarcely mentioned? Hs
reasoos. The first and most important is that
significance has not been discussed and it
it raises tbe basic questions about the
has not been mentioned or considered in
presence and origin of a trait that is usually
connection with any of the more general
considered to represent a major step in the
discussions of Maya culture or American
approach Lo civilization. Did the Maya in
civilizations. As Befu's query indicates, we
51
54
l.rJ"ue
----II
!
j
I
___ J
[]
~ C
L.. _ _ _ _ .....I
00 Q
o
Migration & Diffusion, Vo1.4, lJsue N1(mber 13, 2003
Figure SB: Photograpb ofTemple A at Nakum sbowing tbe two arcbes either
side or tbe central doorway.
light-weight pumice, potsberds, and sea shells, evidence of Old Wor/d structural techniques
used apparently to bind the mortar and to baving been conveyed via transPacific
decrease the weight of the mass.' Sucb an contact.
occurrence is virtually without precedent in
the Maya region. The only other Maya site EKHOLM points out that the dorned roofs at
where such unusual structural techniques EI Tajin are no longer in position, and that the
occur is at Comalcalco in Tabasco where prime evidence for their existeoce are a
some of the corbeled roofs contain broken number of large blocks of mortar, up to a
pottery that was placed in the fiU to lighten meter or more in thickness. He also draws
the load of the arch. Furthermore, possible attention the fact that Marquina21 suggested
alphabetic characters, as weil as various that such roofs would, of necessity, have been
designs and motifs, (possibly Indo/Asiatic in constrocted over temporary forms or some
origin) that were inscribed on some of the kind. Therefore, it appears that yet again we
fired clay bricks at the site, has led to have roofing appearing in the Maya world
specuJation that Comalcalco was, in part at that required temporary support during
least, the result of an intrusion via tbe construction.
Pacific.20 The implication being that
Comalcalco may provide corroborat ive Stepben Jett also draws attention to the fact
57
Migration & Diffusion, V o1.4, !sJlle N umber 13, 2003
that, in Peru domes were constructed In true arch in the Americas, thus offering a
Chulpa tombs .22 para llel.
58
Migration & Diffusion, VoU, Issue Number 13, 2003
(www.tikaltraveLcom)
- -- _ . -----------------
61
7, L
5.