College of Environmental Design
Department of Architecture, UC Berkeley
Architecture Slide Library
Arch 170A
I. Why do people erect monumental architecture? Two different kinds of answers. Religion: especially to recreate as physical structure their understanding of the universe. Political: to aid in the establishment and maintenance of social structures (usually these are hierarchical). When cultures lose the capacity to erect (or interest in?) such buildings is this due to ecological degredation?
II. Moundbuilders: Effigy, and temple mounds built by Adena and Temple Mound cultures in the Mississippi basin. Serpent Mound, Adams County (Ohio), c 800 BCE-400 CE, probably by the Adena. Monk¹s Mound, Cahokia (Illinois), c 800-1100, temple mound of a city, with a ceremonial center enclosed by a wooden palisade.
III. Anasazi: farmers who built stone settlements and maintained complex irrigation systems. Roads linking outlying settlements to multi-storied, terraced Great House, Chetro Ketl, within Chaco Canyon (Arizona), c 950-1150. Kivas: circular ceremonial spaces within and beyond the Great Houses. Cliff House, Mesa Verde Image 1, or Image 2 (Colorado), 12th century: built into the canyon wall and accessed by ladders.
IV. Mayas: "classic" period from c250-900. Complex calendrical systems, to record their own history, as well as make astrological predictions. Dwellings on raised platforms, often of impermenent materials. These apparent prototype for "palaces" at Uxmal(Mexico): Monjas Quadrangle ("Nunnery"), before 1000: civic or domestic blocks around four sides of a courtyard: corbeled arch entrance; lavish cornice decoration. Ceremonial centers: plan of Tikal (Guatemala): collection of pyramids, many built during the 8th century to mark katuns, or thirteen year cycles. courtyard orientation of Mayan cities; no streets. elements of the Mayan ceremonial center: Ballcourt, Copán (Honduras), completed 738 by 18 Rabbit. King's team defeated the forces of the underworld (death), thus ensuring fertility; losers often sacrificed. Stelaes depicting rulers (metaphor for trees). Emphasis on political legitimacy seen in "Hieroglphic Stair" (pyramid with temple on top; altar and stele in front), built c 750 by Smoke Monkey and Smoke Shell to revalidate their dynasty after 18 Rabbit's capture and murder. Mayan temples as royal tombs: burial in 684 of Pacal within Temple of the Inscriptions, Palenque (Image) (Mexico) in chamber accessed from temple chamber atop pyramid. characteristic Mayan construction: rubble and concrete core faced with cut stone.
Casto Edward Vocal Jr.
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Department of Architecture, Slide Library
University of California, Berkeley
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This site last revised on Feburary 5, 1996