Vocabulary Quiz 1_Review File - Tagged

Vocabulary Quiz Notes

1. Architecture as Second Nature

  • Architecture originates as a human adaptation of natural forms and shelters.

  • Examples: Caves and trees incorporated into built environments.

2. Shelter and Symbol

  • Architecture serves a dual purpose:

    • Physical Protection: Provides safety and shelter.

    • Spiritual and Social Expression: Acts as a medium for expressing meanings.

3. Nomadic Shelter

  • Characteristics of nomadic shelters:

    • Temporary and lightweight.

    • Examples: Tipis and yurts.

4. Stone Age

  • A prehistoric period defined by the use of stone tools.

  • Divisions:

    • Paleolithic: Early human artifacts.

    • Mesolithic: Transition phase with mixed hunting and gathering.

    • Neolithic: Marked by agriculture and settled communities.

5. Paleolithic Cave Art

  • Artistic expression found in caves like Lascaux and Chauvet.

  • Represents early rituals and human creativity.

6. Neolithic Revolution

  • Transition from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural and settled communities.

7. Hearth

  • Central feature of early human dwellings.

  • Functions:

    • Source of warmth.

    • Cooking area.

    • Community gathering space.

8. Mud-Brick Construction

  • Ancient technique using sun-dried bricks.

  • Sustainable building method typical of arid regions.

9. High-Style Architecture

  • Monumental designs created for commemoration or status.

10. Dolmen

  • Prehistoric tomb made of upright stones supporting a horizontal capstone.

  • Often covered by earth.

11. Cairn

  • Mound of stones marking burial sites or serving as waypoints.

12. Trilithon

  • Structure with two vertical stones supporting a horizontal stone (lintel).

  • Found in megalithic architecture.

13. Post-and-Lintel System

  • Basic architectural principle using vertical supports (posts) and horizontal beams (lintels).

14. Astronomical Alignments

  • Positioning of structures aligned with celestial events (e.g., solstices, equinoxes).

15. Rammed Earth (Pisé)

  • Construction method using compacted earth.

  • Example: Chinese Tulou buildings.

16. Wattle and Daub

  • Construction method using woven branches covered with mud or clay.

  • Provides insulation.

17. Thatch Roofing

  • Lightweight roofing made from grasses or reeds.

  • Common in Neolithic structures.

18. Sack Walls

  • Construction technique with two stone layers filled with rubble for sturdiness and fire resistance.

19. Adobe Construction

  • Use of sun-dried mud bricks for durable and sustainable structures.

20. Post-and-Beam Construction

  • Method utilizing vertical posts to support horizontal beams.

  • Common in vernacular architecture.

21. Revetment

  • Protective or decorative facing, often made of stone, used in structures like cairns (e.g., Newgrange).

22. Mortise-and-Tenon Joint

  • Carpentry technique where a projecting tenon fits into a corresponding mortise.

  • Example: Used at Stonehenge.

23. Corbelling

  • Method for creating arches or domes by layering stones or bricks on top of one another.

24. Shear

  • Type of stress where forces act parallel to a material’s surface, causing deformation.

25. Wigwams

  • Dome-shaped shelters made by Native Americans.

  • Constructed using bent wooden poles covered with bark or mats.

26. Yurts

  • Portable, circular tents traditionally used by Central Asian nomads.

  • Made with a wooden frame and felt or canvas.

27. Oculus

  • Circular opening in a dome or wall, allowing light to enter and reducing structural weight.

28. Battered Wall

  • A wall that slopes inward, improving stability and resistance to forces.

29. Pisé

  • Traditional construction using rammed earth, where moist soil is compacted to create walls.

30. Elevations

  • Architectural drawings showing vertical views of a building for details on height and appearance.

31. Adobe

  • Sun-dried bricks primarily made of clay, sand, and straw; used in warm, dry climates.

32. Falseworks

  • Temporary structures supporting constructions during the building process.

33. Longhouse

  • Long, narrow communal dwelling used by various indigenous peoples, often made from timber.

34. True Arch

  • Form made of wedge-shaped stones (voussoirs) that support weight above the opening.

35. Cantilever

  • Projecting structural element anchored only at one end, supporting loads without bracing.

36. Voussoirs

  • Wedge-shaped stones used to construct true arches, locking together to support weight.

37. Compression and Tension

  • Forces acting on materials:

    • Compression: Squeezes material together.

    • Tension: Pulls material apart.

38. Post and Lintel

  • Architectural system with horizontal beams supported by vertical posts.

39. Cruck Frame

  • Timber framing combining curved wooden members for roof support.

40. Capstone

  • Topmost stone in structures such as an arch or dolmen.

41. Monolithic

  • Refers to a structure made of a single large block of material (e.g., stone).

42. Dolmen

  • Megalithic tomb structure formed by upright stones supporting a horizontal capstone.

43. Sack Wall

  • Construction using inner and outer walls filled with rubble for stability.

44. Megaliths

  • Large stones in prehistoric monuments, often for tombs or ceremonial use.

45. Menhirs

  • Single upright stones acting as markers or ceremonial objects.

46. Orthostats

  • Large upright stones used for walls or lining ancient structures' bases.

47. Cairns

  • Man-made piles or stacks of stones marking burial sites or landmarks.

48. Altamira Cave (Spain)

  • Known for prehistoric polychrome paintings.

49. Carnac Fields (France)

  • Features over 1,000 megaliths for ceremonial and astronomical purposes.

50. Newgrange (Ireland)

  • A large cairn aligned to the winter solstice with an interior passage.

51. Stonehenge (England)

  • Prehistoric stone circle with astronomical alignments, possibly serving as a calendar.

52. Neanderthals

  • Early humans associated with the creation of hearths and basic shelters, crucial in architectural origins.

53. Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers

  • Creators of temporary shelters, contributing to early architectural innovation.

54. Matera Grottoes (Italy)

  • Limestone caves historically used as safe and comfortable homes.

55. Chauvet Cave (France)

  • Oldest painted cave in Europe, dating back around 30,000 BCE.

56. Çatalhöyük (Turkey)

  • One of the largest Neolithic settlements with tightly packed buildings and shrines.