PRE-HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
Bronze age 3000 bc - 900 bc
Influences of the development of architecture
Geographical
Geography influences architecture because
geography is the feature of the land and how
the land is laid out will determine what type of
architecture will look the best.
Geological
Geological phenomenon like earthquake
certainly has influence on architecture design.
Architecture was designed to reduce damage of
negative geology influence and become
distinctive features.
Climate
Climate influenced architecture design,
especially under harsh weather condition. The
different climate is also one of the reasons that
architecture is different from each other.
Religion
Different religion has different architecture
style. As religion starts to spread, architecture
of temples and churches were also changing
and adapting.
Social
It is an influence that comes from human
society that leads to a result of harmony
between people and people.
Historical
prehistoric architecture was without a doubt
mankind’s first effort to establish their own
environment with basic shapes and symbols.
Pre-historic structures
Cultural stages
Cultural stages
I. Stone age (2.5 million bp - 3000 bc)
A.) Paleolithic (old stone age)
- -2.5 million - 10000 bc
- -caves or simple huts
B.) Mesolithic (middle stone age)
- 30000 - 9000 bc
- Often lived nomadically in camps near
rivers and other bodies of water.
C.) Neolithic (new stone age
- 9000 BC- 3000 BC
-permanent homes; timber/bricks
Ii.
- Covered the minoan period of the crete
& greek pd.
- Bronze, a copper and tin alloy, was
discovered
- Invention of the potter’s wheel, and
textiles
Iii. Iron age started from 12th - 9th century bc
- 25 to 50 yrs. Before julius caesar
- Metal was seen as more precious than
gold
- Advances in architecture
4 Constructive principles
I. Post & lintel (trabeated)
- Simple method of construction
- Involving the use of vertical and
horizontal elements
- Verticals support the horizontals,
creating one storey of a building.
-
II. Arch and vault
 Arch - a curved structural form
that carries loads around an
opening
 Vault - a structural form
composed of a series of arches
III. Corbel or cantilevered
 Corbel - a structural member
jutting out of a wall to carry a
superincumbent weight.
 Cantilever - a beam anchored
at one end and projecting into
space, such as a long bracket
projecting from a wall to
support a balcony.
IV. Trussed
 Truss - a structure that
consists of members
organised into connected
triangles so that the overall
assembly behaves as a
single object.
 Trusses are most commonly
used in bridges, roofs and
towers.
3 classification of early known types of  Stone circle or stone
architecture row - made up of 3,000
stones spaced upright
I. Dwellings
e.g. “stonehenge”,
II. Religious monuments
located at wiltshire &
III. Burial grounds
on salisbury plain
1. Dwellings
 Burial mounds tumuli
- a building or structure for or “barrows” – earthen
residential purposes. mounds use for burials
of several to couple
Two types of dwelling structures hundreds of ordinary
1. Rock cave- the earliest and most persons.
common form of dwellings.
3. Burial grounds
3 stages of the evolution of cave
Elements of classical supports
a. Natural cave- a shallow cave-
like opening formed by natural
1. Basic forms
process at the base of a bluff or
cliff. A.) Pier
b. Artificial cave- a structure built
B.) Column
and develop by humans to
create area for an artificial C.) Pilaster
habitat.
c. Cave above the ground- a D.) Pedestal
natural opening of an area of E.) Engaged column
land made up of limestone.
F.) Baluster

2. Special forms
2. Tents and huts
 Tents- a shelter made from tree A.) Caryatids -draped female figure
trunk or branches, animal skins
Without hands and carrying nothing.
and leafy brach.
 Huts- usually made up of reeds, B.) Canephorae - same as caryatids but this
ring of stones for support, time with basket on her head.
brushes and wattles.
C.) Atlas or atlantes – male figure in kneeling
position supporting the world at his shoulders.
2. Religious monuments
D.) Telamon or telamones – male figure in
2 classifications of religious structures
standing position in place of a column.
a. Monolith – isolated single
E.) Anta column - pier or pilaster formed by
upright stone also known as
“menhir” [menhir - memorial of A thickening at the end of the wall.
victory over one tribe.
Prototypes of egyptian
pyramid.]
b. Megalithic – several number of
stones
 Dolmen - 2 or more
upright stones
supporting a horizontal
slab.
 Cromlech – 3 or more
upright stones capped
by an unchain flat
stone.
Classical orders d. Composite order -- roman elaboration
of the corinthian order.
Orders – it includes the column (capital, shaft,
base) with an entablature, which is following a
certain rule with regards to systems of
designing from greece;

a. Doric order – the simplest, earliest and

the most perfect among the orders,
made up of wood.

e. Tuscan order -- the simplified version of

the roman doric order and has no shaft
flutes.

b. Ionic order -- the most sophisticated,

less heavy than the doric order.

Superimposition or super columniation -- the

c. Corinthian order -- the slenderest, placing of one order after another or above
elegant, and the most elaborated order. another.

Intercolumniation -- the clear space between

two adjacent columns usually measured at the
lower parts of the shafts.
Arcade – a line of counterthrusting arches - Worshipped as a god—giver of life and
raised on columns of piers. benevolent

EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION

 Environment
- unlike Mesopotamia, the Nile is
predictable
- Deserts on both sides of the river—
provides natural barrier against
invaders
- And also reduced interactions with
other civilizations
- Egypt would develop in isolation,
ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
therefore they had a culture that was
(5000BC – 1st century) quite unique

A. GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCES
 Geography
- Egypt came from the greek word
aegyptus which is the greek Upper and lower Egypt
pronunciation of the egyptian name
- Lower Egypt—is where Memphis is (the
hwt-ka-ptah that means house of the
most important city they had)
spirit of ptah. Who was by the way a
- Upper Egypt—is the higher land
very early god of egyptians.
- EGYPT known as “The Land of Pharaoh
“, & “desert Land “. The “Nile River” is
their means of communication, B. GEOLOGICAL INFLUENCES
highway, & lifeline. Egypt’s greatest
wealth was its fertile “soil”.

River Valley Civilization

 Sumerian civilization- tigris and

euphrates rivers (mesopotamia)
 Egyptian civilization- nile river
 Harappan civilization- indus river
 Ancient china- huang he (yellow) river

The Nile River

- The settlement arose along narrow strip

of land made fertile by the river
- Adapted to the yearly cycle of flooding
- Had intricate network of irrigation
ditches
C. CLIMATIC INFLUENCES

 Egypt’s two seasons

 Spring
 Summer

D. RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES

- Pharaoh is not only a king, but also was seen as a god by the citizens, where they are both the
religious and political rulers of Egypt. After their death they believe that they would be the god
Osiris. Pyramids were built because they believe in “Life after Death “and for the preservation of
the dead body. Pharaoh is not only king but also “god” both political and religious ruler, when
he dies he becomes “Osiris”, god of dead. They’re “monotheistic” in theory and “polytheistic” in
practice.
Different Egyptian gods:

a. Amun—ra: chief god

b.Rah : symbol of the sun , hope for eternal life , sun god from Heliopolis
c. Atum : world creator
d. Osiris : god of the dead
e. Isis : wife of osiris
f. Horus : sky god, son of osiris, also reincarnation of “ ra” himself
g. Set : dread god of evil, brother of pleasure
h. Thot : ibis headed god of wisdom
i. Anubis : jackal headed god of death
j. Ptah : god of craftsmen
k. Serapis : bull god

E. HISTORICAL INFLUENCES

30 Dynasties – started from 3rd Millennium B.C. to Roman Period. Egypt was part of Persian Empire for
2 Centuries, before the invasion of “Alexander the Great”

1. ANCIENT KINGDOM
(1st-10th dynasty)

The Development of Two Types of Tombs:

-
Mastaba
-
Pyramid
 Mastaba Tombs:
- was built above a burial tomb and contained a chapel and statue of the dead
- A mastaba is a large rectangular structure that was used as a type of tomb, often for royalty, in
ancient egypt.
- Mastabas were relatively low (especially when compared to pyramids), rectangular, flat-roofed,
roughly bench shaped burial structures that were created and utilized for the pre-dynastic
pharaohs or nobility of ancient egypt.

 Pyramid:
- Pyramids are famous monuments of ancient egypt, which still fascinate people in the present
day. These enormous structures were built in the memory of egyptian kings, which later became
the identity of the country, even though other cultures like mayan and chinese built pyramids.
- Records about the evolution of these structures have been a matter of debate for centuries; yet,
as far as egypt is concerned, these structures serve as a major crowd-puller every year.

2. MIDDLE KINGDOM 3. NEW EMPIRE

(11th-17th dynasty) (18th-30th dynasty)

Important Personalities to Remember: Important Personalities to Remember:

 Mentuhetep II  Thutmoses I
-Developed the 3rd type of tomb (rock- -Began the additions to the temples of
cut type of tomb) ammon and kharnak; and he’s the first
 Senusrets pharaoh to be burried in a rock-cut
- Erected the earliest known obelisk at tomb of kings of thebes.
heliopolis  Hatshepsut
 Amenemhat I - Queen of Egypt that was famous for her
- Founded the great temple at kharnak funerary temple located at the
and the great temple of ammon/amun mountain of der-el-bahari
  Thutmosis IV
- Known for cleaning away the sand from
the famous sphinx
 Amenophis III
- Erected the famous “colossi of
memnon”, one of the wonders of the FEATURES OF EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
world
 Rameses I
- Began the construction of the great
hypostyle hall at kharnak
 Rameses II
- Finished the construction of hypostyle
hall at kharnak, and also erected the
rock temple at abu simbel and
ramessium, thebes.

PTOLEMAIC PERIOD

 Ptolemy II
- Built the pharaohs or the light house,
one of the wonders of the world.
 Ptolemy III
- Founded the great serapeum at
Alexandria
a. Batter Wall- inclination from base to top of
the façade.
b. Hieroglyphics- use as ornaments, pictures
and writings from the walls.

H. SYSTEMS OF CONSTRUCTION

F. SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

a. Monarchy – form of government
b. Pharaoh – King of Egypt, ruler, highest priest
in Egypt
c. Son of Pharaoh – normal successor to the
throne
d. Vizier – King’s most powerful official
e. Chancellor- he controls the royal treasuries,
granaries and supervises the census
f. Chief Steward- in charge of the King’s
personal estate and household
STRUCTURES OF EGYPTIAN ARCHITECTURE
- The primitive architecture in the valley
of the Nile consisted of the readily
available materials like reeds, papyrus,
palm branch ribs plastered over the
clay.
KINDS OF TEMPLES

Social Ranks:
a. Noble Families- royal throne with his family
b. Soldiers, Viziers, Chancellors, Chief Stewards
– next to leaders
c. Fishermen, Farmers, Craftsmen, Merchants -
ordinary Egyptians
d. Slaves- lowest form

G. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS

 Massiveness and Monumentality

 COLUMNS

-known at least since the 3rd dynasty (c. 2650–

c. 2575 bce)

- true arches were rarely used in early ancient

PARTS OF A PYRAMID COMPLEX egypt.

- glorified with colorful portrayal in carved

relief, painted and seem to be the masterpiece
of architectural elements in the egyptian
culture

Columns

can include everything from column in the

ancient egyptian era to the modern one
inspired by idea and innovations.

During the era from 3050 b.c. till 900 b.c. the
earliest builders produced columns from large
blocks of sandstone, limestone and red granite.
C. ROCK-CUT OR ROCK-HEWN TOMBS
- diverse and range from 16 sides polygon to
circular columns.

- were placed closer to ensure they can carry

the heavy weight of the stone roof beams.- the
columns rarely exceed on exceed six (6) times
the diameter in height.
- three types of columns: o circular shaft - a
simple type of shaft that looks like cylindero
clustered shaft
- Fluted (proto-doric) shaft- also known as
reeding, a series of regular, concave grooves or
convex ridges running vertically or spirally along
a surface
- fluting refers to the grooves found on a
column shaft
Imhotep- the ancient egyptian architect was
known to carve stone columns resembling
bundled reeds and other plants.
THREE MAJOR PARTS OF COLUMN:
Capital- a part of column that have bud-shaped
or bell-shaped, hathor head shaped, polygonal
shaped, volute shaped, osiris pillar, and square
pillars. - motifs on the capitals/ tops were lily,
palm, lotus (eblem of upper egypt) or papyrus
plant (emblem of lower egypt)
bud form and finds ample use in old and middle
kingdom temples.
- TENT POLE COLUMNS
these are a stone representation of wooden
poles used for supporting tents, koinsks, shrines
or ship, cabins
- this is the earliest of egypt’s structures, but
their use is still mystical.
- HATHOR HEADED COLUMNS
columns with a face of goddess hathor as its
capital
example: temple of isis from philae
- COMPOSITE COLUMNS
type of column that is common during Greco-
Roman era- depicts an evolutionary extension
with capital decorations in floral patterns and
even imagined plants.

shaft- the structural member which serves as - CAMPANIFORM COLUMNS

the main support of a column or pier.
base- a bottom supports that connect the
column into the floor of the structure.
PLANT TYPE COLUMNS
- Fluted Columns
the various forms included floral columns or
pillars, circular, square or ribbed pillars and a
flower-shaped capital seemed common. - rare
but the stylized versions could be seen during
the Greco-Roman period.

This early form of column resembled bundled

reeds or plants stems but was sometimes made
as polygonal shafts as well. Referred to as most
interesting fluted columns in egypt, this where
the first stone columns on earth and lost their
charm when the new styles emerged which
depicted a more complex structure.

- PALM COLUMNS

the columns depicted a palm tree motif

example:

the column capital of temple of isis from Philae

- PAPYRUS COLUMNS

also one of the earliest styles of columns in

egyptian temple architecture. - the column was
made in several variations some in a circular
form representing the single plant, while others
ribbed with multiple stems. The capitals where
closed buds or open bell-shaped form.

Example: volute papyrus capital in the temple

of isis from Philae.

- LOTIFORM COLUMNS

used in non-secular buildings, but rarely in

religious architecture- resembles a simple lotus

MOULDINGS
 Egyptian mouldings - they are derived
from the battered shapes of earthen
and stone piles and the curved shapes
of grass and lotus flowers.
A. Gorge and hollow - this cavetto cornice is
sometimes also known as an "egyptian cornice",
"hollow and roll" or "gorge cornice", and has
been suggested to be a reminiscence in stone
architecture of the primitive use of bound
bunches of reeds as supports for buildings, the
weight of the roof bending their tops out.
B. Torus - the lowest molding which projects at
the base of a column and above the plinth.
ORNAMENTS
lotus papyrus & palm - for "fertility “
solar discs & vulture w/wings - for "protection“
spiral & feather ornament - for "eternity “
scarab or sacred beetle - for "resurrection"
3 KINDS OF EGYPTIAN ORNAMENT
 Constructive ornament - are the
decorations of the means of support
and the crowning members of the walls.
 conventional ornament -
representation of actual things on the
walls of the temples and tombs.
 simply decorative ornament - this class
of ornament, and are from paintings on
tombs, dresses, utensils, and
sarcophagi.
1. TOMBS (3 TYPES)
A. Mastaba
- flat top or tapered solid temple.
a Important Parts of Mastaba
a. Outer Chamber- where offerings were
placed.
b. Serdab – inner chamber containing the
statues of the deceased member of the family
c. Sarcophagus – chamber containing the
“coffin” reached by an underground shaft.
B.Pyramids – evolved from mastaba; with four
sides facing the cardinal points, they were made
by 100,000 men for 100 years.
 a. Step Pyramid – evolved from
Mastaba
e.g. Pyramid of King Zoser or Iser –
built by Imhotep, oldest surviving
masonry building structure in the world.
 b. Bent or Blunt Pyramid – 2 degrees of
inclination of slope
e.g. Pyramid of Seneferu
 c. Slope Pyramid – parts (king’s
chamber, Queen’s chamber,
subterranean chamber, grand gallery,
airshafts.
e.g. 3 Famous Pyramid at Gizeh. Great
Pyramid of the Cheops was equated to
the size of St. Peter Rome.
Pyramid of the Cheops or Khufu (146.4
mts. high & (750 sq. ft.) in plan two
times the area of the famous “St. Peter
Basilica in Rome”.
Pyramid of Cheops or “Khafra” (143.0
mts. high) & (705 sq. ft.) in plan.
Pyramid of Mykerinos or “Menkaura
“(109.0 mts. high) and (218 ft. high).
Parts of Pyramid Complex:
a. elevated causeway
b. offering chapel
c. mortuary
d. valley bldg.
C. Rock Cut Tomb or Rock Hewn Tomb
– cut deep into the mountain rock
e. g. Tombs of the kings, Thebes
2. TEMPLES-they were sanctuaries that
only kings and priests can penetrate.
2 types
a. Mortuary – built in honor of the
pharaohs
b. Cult – built for the worship of the
gods, only high priest can enter in
both types of temple.
Parts of an Egyptian Temple:
a. Entrance Pylon – massive sloping
towers fronted by an obelisks known as
gateways in Egypt.
b. Hypaethral Court – large outer court
open to the sky
c. Hypostyle Hall - a pillared hall in
which the roofs rest on column.
d. Sanctuary – usually surrounded by
passages & chambers used in
connection w/ the temple service.
e. Avenue of Sphinx – where mystical
monsters were placed.
4. SPHINX– a mystical monster with a
body of a lion and head of a man or
“androsphinx”, body of a lion & head of
a hawk or “heiraosphinx “, & body lion
& head of a ram or “criosphinx”.
e.g. Great Sphinx at Gizeh near the
Pyramid of the Cheops.
J. CAPITALS & COLUMNS
a.) Bud & Bell Capital
b.) Polygonal Columns
c.) Papyrus Capital
d.) Volute Capital
e.) Palm type Capital
f.) Square Pillars
g.) Hathor – Headed Capital
h.) Osiris Pillars
•ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
•SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION
•STRUCTURES
•CAPITAL AND COLUMNS

EXAMPLE OF TEMPLES •MOULDINGS AND ORNAMENTS

a. Great Temple of Abu – Simbel –
entrance forecourt leads to an imposing
façade formed by a pylon carved with 4
Colossal seated statues. (Ramesses 1-
1V)
b. Great Temple of Ammon, Kharnak –
grandest temple in Egyptian planning
and was commenced by Amenemhat 1;
occupying an area of 1,200 ft. x 360 ft.
c. The Great Temple of Abu- Simbel it is
one of the rock- hewn temples at this
place commanded by the indefatigable
Rameses II. An entrance forecourt leads
to the imposing façade, 36 m (119 ft.)
wide and 32 m (105 ft.) high formed as
pylon, immediately in front of which are
four rock-cut seated colossal statues of
Rameses, over 20 m (65 ft.) high.
d. Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Mt.
Der – El - Bahari
Queen of Egypt, famous for her
funerary temple at Mt. Der-El-Bahari.
3. OBELISKS – are monumental pillars
usually in pairs at the temple entrances
considered the symbol of “Heliopolis”
the sun god. They are square in plan &
stands at the ht. of 9 to 10 times the
diameter of the base. The four sides
taper to the top on the form of a small
pyramid. e.g.
Cleopatra’s Needle, Embankment,
London Piazza of St. John Laterano,
Rome.