History Of Architecture - S1S2

Module-1
Prehistoric Architecture of Near-East
In this particular module
Your primary focus should be on:
1.
2.

Development of building technology in each area- materials and ways of

construction.
Characteristics of the community which resulted in the settlement- lifestyle,
religious practices, geographical location.

Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/436567757602430549/

Neolithic Period
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian lowlands and Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia and Egypt.

(Refer Map on Pg1)

Types of buildings:
1. Shrines * -precursors of temple architecture in Mesopotamia and funerary
architecture in Egypt.
2. Residential buildings.

General Architectural character of permanent buildings in

Ancient Near East (Middle Mesolithic to Neolithic periods):
1. Single-cell type, Beehive shaped, round or oval, multi-celled collection of
rectangular rooms.

Source: Sir Banister Fletchers History of Architecture

Beehive Hut
http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/A/ARC/architecture-005.html

2. Evolution:
Semi-subterranean dry stone huts

Circular or oval individual huts in

mud or stone.
Rectangular houses in tauf (loafshaped bricks of mud and straw)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pithouse#mediaviewer/File:Pithouse_at_Step_House
_Mesa_Verde_1.jpg

Source: Sir Banister Fletchers History of Architecture

Source: Sir Banister Fletchers History of Architecture

General Architectural character of permanent buildings in

Ancient Near East (Middle Mesolithic to Neolithic periods):
3.

Tells of Neolithic period: houses superimposed one above the other.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tell#mediaviewer/File:Citadel_of_Aleppo.jpg

4.

Four developments:
a. Construction and planning-multi-roomed, thin walled houses of mud brick
b. Non-residential buildings for work, storage and ritual purposes
c. Open forms of village layout.
d. Widespread construction of fortification walls.
5

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

KEY POINTS:
1. Architecture - residential , shrines, workshops and
storage buildings.
2. Natufian construction tradition- dry stone and semi
subterranean.
3. Stone wall or fortification around the settlement.
4. Round or oval shaped houses later changed into
rectangular plans which are one roomed.
5. Light timber superstructure.

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

AIN MALLAHA(9000 -8000 B.C)

1. Located in Israel, north of sea of Galilee.
2. Circular, Semi-subterranean, rocklined; built of
drystone.
3. 3m to 9m in diameter.
4. Beehive forms were constructed of reeds or matting
and supported on posts.
Materials:
Stone paved floors.
Wall finished with lime plaster painted with red ochre

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

Source: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/eyna/hd_eyna.htm

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

AIN MALLAHA(9000 -8000 B.C)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Located in Israel, north of sea of Galilee.

Circular, Semi-subterranean, rocklined; built of drystone.
3m to 9m in diameter.
Beehive forms were constructed of reeds or matting and
supported on posts.

Materials:
Stone paved floors.
Wall finished with lime plaster painted with red ochre

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

AIN MALLAHA(9000 -8000 B.C)

.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

http://people.wku.edu/darlene.applegate/oldworld/webnotes/3neareast/
early.html

10

Source:http://www.lime.org.uk/products/boards-and-backgrounds/reed-mat/

11

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

TELL-ES-SULTAN / JERICHO

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

12

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

TELL-ES-SULTAN / JERICHO

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tell_es-sultan.jpg

13

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

TELL-ES-SULTAN / JERICHO
1. Spread over 10 acres (4 ha).
2. Each house was about 5m in diameter, evolved from
Natufian dry stone tradition.
3. Closely packed houses absence of street.

The walls of Jericho.

1. The settlement enclosed by a fortification wall 3m
thick, 4m high and over 700 m in circumference.
2. Cisterns and storage spaces with roof entry set against
the base of an apsidal tower.

Materials and Expression.

1. Highly burnished lime plaster floors laid on gravel and
stained red, pink or orange, and plastered walls with
red painted dados.
2. Walls decorated with geometric designs.
14

15

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

BEIDHA
1. Curvilinear huts in the Natufian tradition- semi
subterranean
2. 4m diameter .
3. Dwellings and store rooms were grouped in clusters
within walled courtyards, and the whole village
surrounded by stone wall.
4. In, Neolithic period ,this post house style- accompanied
by free-standing polygonal houses.
5. Followed by rectangular stone houses-clusters of stone
built houses and work shops.
6. Each room -7m X 9m
7. L-shaped courtyard and several workshop -8m long.
Material and Expression

1. Floors and walls of white burnished plaster decorated

with a red stripe at floor level.
16

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

http://www.drshirley.org/geog/geog03.html

17

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Ain Mallaha
B. Jericho
C. Beidha

Stage-1

Stage-2
18

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Jarmo
B. Tal-i-Iblis

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Large multi-roomed settlements.
Mainly residential-no ritual.
JARMO
20-30rectangularmud houses.
Built of tauf with mud floors laid on reeds.
Each house- open courtyard + rectangular rooms.

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Jarmo
B. Tal-i-Iblis

TAL-I-IBLIS
Thickwalled, heavily buttressed storerooms a the centre and surrounded
by larger living rooms.
Red plaster floors.

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Catal Hayouk
Hacilar
Can Hasan
Mersin.

KEY POINTS:
1. Architecture-residential and ritual
2. High standards of planning and construction
3. Square and rectangular mud brick units with lighter
upper floors.
4. Densely packed and contiguous.
5. Fortification wall around.

19

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Catal Hayouk
Hacilar
Can Hasan
Mersin.

HACILAR:
7500-600 B.C
1. Rectangular dwellings
2. Built of mud briks on stone foundation
3. Multi-roomed,plastered internally and painted in cream
and red bands.
4. Closely packed with access by way of roofs.

20

http://alaudun8.blogspot.in/2012_04_01_archive.html

21

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Catal Hayouk
Hacilar
Can Hasan
Mersin.

HACILAR:
5400 B.C
1. More substantial rectangular mud-brick houses
2. Walls over a meter thick .
3. Vestibules flanked by lean to work areas.
4. Inbuilt cupboard.
5. Ceilings- Timber beams supported on a pair of centre
posts and were reinforced at the corners by crossbracing.

22

5400B.C

23

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Catal Hayouk
Hacilar
Can Hasan
Mersin.

HACILAR:
5400B.C -5000B.C

1. Fortification made around which enclosed an area of

70m x35m.
2. Houses consisted of houses , granary, a guard house,
potters wokshops and shrines.

24

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Catal Hayouk
Hacilar
Can Hasan
Mersin.

CAN HASAN:
1. Closely packed square or rectangular buildings.
2. Later buildings were thick walled and built of mud-brick
reinforced with timber

25

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Catal Hayouk
Hacilar
Can Hasan
Mersin.

CATAL HAYOUK:
Houses:
1. At the foot of the Taurus mountain
2. Single- roomed rectangular 25 sq.m each
3. Plastered walls and floors.
4. Densely packed and contiguous
5. Floors were covered with straw mat and walls
were decorated
6. Access through roofs.
Shrines:
1. Richly decorated buildings.
2. Decorated with paintings , reliefs and engravings
on themes connected with fertility and death.

26

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A. Djetun

DJETUN.
Built in sun dried brick tempered
with straw.
Rectangular plan buildings-one
room.
Concept of open space in the
settlement.
Shrines were also made.

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

Cultures that existed :

1.
2.
3.
4.

Hassuna
Samarra
Halaf
Ubaid
https://www.flickr.com/photos/historyfiles/4198067029/

27

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

UMM DABAGHIYAH (6200 -5750 B.C)

1. Pre-Hassuna Period.
2. Pre-historic site in the Jazira in present northern
Iraq, 100 km south-west of Mosul.
3. Specialised settlement and trading post.
4. Four levels of occupation excavated.
5. Double or triple rows of small, well-built, rectilinear
compartments used for storage.
6. Irregular one to three roomed houses.

28

http://www.theoriesensorielle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/03-026-F1-2-3-Origines-Levant-Mesopotamiearcheologie-revolution_neolithique-Philippe_Roi-Tristan_Girard.jpg

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

UMM DABAGHIYAH.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Single dwelling-multiple rooms.

Constructed in tauf- with stone foundation.
Arches were used to span the roof.
Internally treated with plaster and red paint.
Single storey- roof of branches and reeds surfaced
with plaster.
6. Plastered steps in the upper walls and the absence of
doorways suggest entry from the roof.

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

TELL-ES-SAWWAN (5600-5000 B.C)

1. Sammaran settlement- farming village- covered an area of
220m X 110m.
2. Large empty rooms, possibly granaries.
3. Stone foundations for dwellings
4. Constructed of moulded mud bricks
5. Externally buttressed walls.
6. Roof of reed and clay
7. The whole settlement surrounded by a 3m wide moat.

http://www.theoriesensorielle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/04-026-F4-Origines-LevantMesopotamie-archeologie-revolution_neolithique-Philippe_Roi-Tristan_Girard-architecture.jpg

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

ERIDU (circa 5000 B.C)

1.
2.
3.
4.

Ubaid period.
No evidence of dwellings.
Temple structures one over the other
Sophisticated planning- symmetry-central cellae,
entered via vestibules flanked by rows of small rooms.
1

http://jqjacobs.net/blog/gobekli_tepe.html

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

TEPE GAWRA
1. Belonged to Ubaid period.
2. A tell( mound) located 18 miles north-east of Mosul.
3. Transport link in trade-Lies between the Tigris river and
foothills of Zagros mountains- near the entrance to the
historical pass into Iranian Plateau.
4. 21 Levels of stratified villages and towns

http://www.theoriesensorielle.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/06c-028-4F-Origines-Levant-Mesopotamiearcheologie-revolution_neolithique-Philippe_Roi-Tristan_Girard.jpg

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.
6.

The Levant region

Zargos region
Anatolia
The transcaspian
lowlands and
Transcaucasia
Mesopotamia
Egypt.

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Um Dabaghiya
Tell Hassuna
Tell-es-Sawwan
Eridu
Tepe Gawra

TEPE GAWRA
1. No evidence of dwellings found.
2. Templebuildings: Circular building with multiple rooms.

UMM DABAGHIYA

PRE-HARAPPAN CULTURE- B.C.5500-B.C.3500 (Neolithic)

MEHRGARH
Mehrgarh Period 1 -7000-5500 B.C
Mehrgarh Period 2-5500-4800 B.C
Mehrgarh Period 3-4800-3500 B.C
KILE GUL MOHAMMAD.
NAUSHARO
KOT DIJI
AMRI

http://media-cache-

http://www.pinterest.com/offsite/?token=10824&url=http%3A%2F%2Fasszociaciok.blogter.hu%2Ftag%2Fmehrgarh&pin=409123947372671175

MEHRGARH
Multi roomed structures
Four different plan-types have been recorded: two-roomed, four-roomed, sixroomed and ten-roomed.
Walls two rows of hand-moulded mud bricks longitudinally arranged.
The four roomed-dwelling and six roomed storage.
Walls were plastered inside and outside with a 2cm thick clay mortar.
Traces of red ochre found on walls
Floors made of packed and rammed earth were also covered with red ochre.
Roofing- chaff tempered mud with impressions of fibrous stems of reeds.

http://media-cachecd0.pinimg.com/originals/22/dc/6f/22dc6fb4ca716be172b3839c239a3665.jpg