Arthistory quiz 1

Paleolithic

The period of the Stone Age is associated with the evolution of humans. First of the eras.

Mesolithic

The Middle Stone Age, associated with stone tools, about 12,000 years ago. Between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic ages.

Neolithic

The period of the Stone Age is associated with the ancient Agricultural Revolution. It follows the Paleolithic and Mesolithic period.

Seasonality

Mainly: different seasons looking for different food sources

serves as a universal theme representing life cycles, time, and human connection to nature (rebirth in spring, the abundance of summer, the harvest of autumn, and the introspection of winter).

Dolmen

a megalithic tomb with a large flat stone laid on upright ones, found chiefly in Britain and France.

Ziggurat

A rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by the ancient Assyrians and Babylonians

Absidial

semi-circular or polygonal termination to a building, typically covered with a hemispherical dome or vault. This feature, known as an apse, is most commonly found at the eastern end of a church or cathedral, where it houses the altar.

Stylobate

The uppermost course of the platform of a Greek temple, which supports the columns.

Doric Order

the simplest of the classical Greek architectural styles, featuring unadorned columns with no base

Very plain, 1 row of columns, thick columns, direct architecture

Used for temples (only priests and officials could enter)

Sculptural form

Ionic Order

classical Greek architectural style that features a fluted column shaft, capitals with volutes (spiral scroll-like ornaments) and a large base

More decorative with scrolls, Multiple rows of columns, thinner columns, taller, more delicate, elongated

Meant for masses to enter, processional architecture

Pediment

In classical architecture, the triangular space (gable) at the end of a building, formed by the ends of the sloping roof above the colonnade; also, an ornamental feature having this shape.

cornice

projecting molding on building (usually above columns or pillars)

Frieze

a broad horizontal band of sculpted or painted decoration, below the cornice, above the architrave.

Architrave

a plain, unornamented lintel on the entablature

Entablature

a horizontal, continuous lintel on a classical building supported by columns or a wall, comprising the architrave, frieze, and cornice.

Triglyph

a triple projecting, grooved member of a Doric frieze that alternates with metopes

Metope

panel between the triglyphs in a Doric frieze, often sculpted in relief

Capital

Doric capitals are simple and blocky, featuring a flared, circular cushion (echinus) and a square slab (abacus). Conversely, Ionic capitals are elegant, characterized by spiraled, scroll-like ornaments known as volutes

Volute

A spiral, scroll-like form characteristic of the ancient Greek Ionic and the Roman Composite capital.

column

Main column on both orders

Fluting

a series of shallow concave grooves, vertical on the shaft of a column.

Base

Not the steps, but the bottom portion of the columns

Intercolumniation

spacing between columns

Uruk

birthplace of writing, and it had early symbols of democratic assembly

Early: Assemblies (shared power)

Later: Kings + hierarchy

Hierarchy develops later

Not required initially

Mastaba

Small tumulus graves with a casement of brick, first monumental burial structures for kings, pharaohs, and households

Mohenjo-daro (Indus valley)

caste system, lower and upper town, no wealth difference in cities, largest communal site was a bathing area

No kings, palaces, or temples

Taljanky

Social equality among people

Taosi

elite stratification initially, and the nonelites lived around palace, but this system eventually collapsed and the non-elite burials began to kind of crowd around the elite and end up on top of them eventually, going back and forth from egalitarian to not

pyramids

Djoser pyramid complex, the great pyramids of giza (menkaure, khafre, and khufu)

Temples

Amon temple, Karnak

Amon Temple, Luxor

Processional, there are certain directions to move through the spaces

Parthenon

(Acropolis, Athens): blends two traditions; war with Persia, after greece defeated them they unified the two greek architectures

Doric columns, but ionic layering of columns (2 rows) and ionic proportions (taller)

Building is integrating history of site within the architecture (using destroyed temple previously there in the architecture)

Interior: colorful, painted, bright, (used to be till they wore off),

sacred heirarchy:

Movement:

West (entry) → East (most sacred)

Example: Parthenon

Frieze:

Humans (west) → gods (east)

Trabeated architecture: post-and-lintel system

Column and post with a lintel on top of it (horizontal), supports have to be close together to support stone lintel

Arcuation

arch based building that give you more height- more gothic

Stonehenge

Found in england, believed to have been build in neolithic age

Living → Dead progression:

Durrington Walls = living (wood, temporary)

River Avon = transition

Stonehenge = dead (stone, permanent)

Stones from: Wales, Scotland

Göbekli Tepe

~9000 BCE

Built by hunter-gatherers

No agriculture

Still massive monuments

Organized labor exists