Fall 2026 - Exam 1 Vocab

Cuneiform Writing

Early use of writing system. Writing in clay.

Purpose: Record keeping, trades, or events.

Fresco

Painting made on wet plaster.

Purpose: Decorate palaces and important rooms. For an example, the bull leaping.

Loggia

Open sided wall supported by columns or arches.

Purpose: Connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

Colonnade

A long sequence of spaced out columns with roof.

Purpose: Created covered walkways.

Tectonics

How the building is put together using materials and structure.

Citadel

Fortified area designed to protect important people and buildings.

Cyclopean Walls

Giant stone walls.

Purpose: Defense and protection.

Megaron

Enclosure with 4 columns.

Purpose: Mycenaean used it for a throne room or religious actives.

Tholos

Circular building with a domed roof.

Purpose: Built into hillside like the Treasury of Atreus for tombs or sacred temples.

Trabeation

Post-Lintel. Created doorways, openings, temples and halls.

Post-Lintel

Vertical supports hold up horizontal beams.

Door ways, windows, roofs.

Dromos

Passage leading to tomb or important building.

Labrys

Double sided axe. Sacred religious symbol.

Casement

Vaulted stone or concrete chamber served as protection or housing.

Portico

Roofed porch or walkway to a building.

Purpose: Weather shield and entrance appeal.

Fortifactions

Military structure and systems build to protect. Built to defend.

Massing

Composition of major building forms and how they relate.

Purpose: Visual impact, size and context.

Cella

Inner central chamber.

Purpose: Held sacred statues, offerings.

Stucco

Structural cladding made out of cement, sand, line, water.

Used on walls and is fire resistant and weather tough.

Clerestory

High section of the wall contains windows.

Purpose: Controlled air and light.