Art and

Architecture across twelve ancient civilizations

Unnati Dedhia

D E C L A R A T I O N

I, Unnati P. Dedhia from FYS-Section H hereby declare that all digital and written work appearing in this book as part of my Imaging course 15th week submission under the academic guidance of my course faculty is my own and all sources of knowledge used have

been duly acknowledged.

I will be solely responsible for any irregularity found with respect to non-adherence of academic integrity as per ISDI School of Design and Innovation’s standards and requirements.

2500 BC - 1700 BC

Indus Valley civilization

I N D U S V A L L E Y C I V I L I Z A T I O N

T h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f I n d u s V a l l e y C i v i l i s a t i o n i s c o n t a i n e d i n t h e s t r u c t u r e s o f M o h e n j o - D a r o w h i c h w e r e f o u n d b y t h e a r c h a e o l o g i s t s a n d i n t h e e x i s t e n c e o f

H a r a p p a n c i t y . I n M o h e n j o - D a r o , t h e s t r e e t s r u n i n s t r a i g h t l i n e s a n d a r e c r o s s e d b y o t h e r s a t r i g h t a n g l e s . T h i s s h o w s t h e p l a n n i n g a n d e x i s t e n c e o f s o m e a u t h o r i t y t o c o n t r o l t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e c i t y e x i s t e d . T o w n - p l a n n i n g w a s a l s o a c c o m p a n i e d

w i t h s t r i c t e n f o r c e m e n t o f b u i l d i n g r e g u l a t i o n s a s g r e a t e s t c a r e w a s t a k e n t o p r e v e n t a n y s t r u c t u r e f r o m e n c r o a c h i n g u p o n t h e s t r e e t s .

Mohenjo-daro, Pakistan

3100 BC - 540 BC

Mesopotamian civilization

M E S O P O T A M I A N C I V I L I Z A T I O N

H a t r a w a s p r o b a b l y f o u n d e d i n t h e 3 r d o r 2 n d c e n t u r y B C E , u n d e r t h e S e l e u c i d k i n g d o m . H a t r a i s t h e b e s t - p r e s e r v e d a n d m o s t - i n f o r m a t i v e e x a m p l e o f a P a r t h i a n

c i t y . T h e t e m p l e s i n t h i s c i t y c o v e r s o m e t h r e e a c r e s a n d a r e d o m i n a t e d b y t h e G r e a t T e m p l e , a n e n o r m o u s s t r u c t u r e w i t h v a u l t s a n d c o l u m n s t h a t o n c e r o s e t o 1 0 0 f e e t .

N u m e r o u s s c u l p t u r e s a n d s t a t u e s h a v e a l s o b e e n d i s c o v e r e d i n t h e c i t y .

Iraq city of Hatra

1500 BC - 300 BC

Anatolia civilization

A N A T O L I A C I V I L I Z A T I O N

A n a t o l i a i s t h e n a m e t h a t i s c u r r e n t l y a p p l i e d t o t h e w h o l e A s i a n t e r r i t o r y o f m o d e r n T u r k e y . A t H a c i l a r , a C h a l c o l i t h i c s i t e n e a r B u r d u r , T u r k e y , v i l l a g e h o u s e s w e r e

e n t e r e d a t g r o u n d l e v e l ; t h e i r s t a n d a r d p l a n s h o w s t h e f i r s t e v i d e n c e o f c o n s c i o u s a r c h i t e c t u r a l s y m m e t r y . M u c h i n e v i d e n c e a m o n g t h e c o n t e n t s o f t h e s e h o u s e s i s

p o t t e r y p a i n t e d w i t h e x t r e m e l y d e c o r a t i v e d e s i g n s . T h e s a m e o r n a m e n t w a s a p p l i e d t o a n t h r o p o m o r p h i c j a r s a n d s t y l i z e d h u m a n i d o l s f o u n d i n g r a v e s .

Greek city of Ephesus

3100 BC - 30 BC

Egyptian civilization

E G Y P T I A N C I V I L I Z A T I O N

T h e p y r a m i d s a r e t h e m o s t r e c o g n i z a b l e s y m b o l o f a n c i e n t E g y p t . T h e p y r a m i d s a t G i z a r e m a i n i m p r e s s i v e m o n u m e n t s t h o u s a n d s o f y e a r s a f t e r t h e y w e r e b u i l t a n d t h e k n o w l e d g e a n d s k i l l r e q u i r e d t o c o n s t r u c t t h e m w e r e g a t h e r e d o v e r t h e m a n y c e n t u -

r i e s p r i o r t o t h e i r c o n s t r u c t i o n . T h e y a r e t h e e a r l i e s t a n d b e s t - k n o w n e x p r e s s i o n s o f a c u l t u r e w h i c h w o u l d g o o n t o c r e a t e b u i l d i n g s , m o n u m e n t s , a n d t e m p l e s . T h e

p y r a m i d s a t G i z a d a t e f r o m t h e O l d K i n g d o m ( c . 2 6 1 3 - 2 1 8 1 B C E ) a n d r e p r e s e n t t h e p i n n a c l e o f t a l e n t a n d s k i l l a c q u i r e d a t t h a t t i m e .

Egyptian pyramids along the Nile delta

3100 BC - 300 BC

Phoenician civilization

P H O E N I C I A N C I V I L I Z A T I O N

A n i m p o r t a n t a i d i n r e c o n s t r u c t i n g t h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f t h e P h o e n i c i a n s i s t h e f a c t t h a t t h e i r c i t i e s w e r e s o m e t i m e s r e p r e s e n t e d i n c o n t e m p o r a r y A s s y r i a n a r t . T h e

t e m p l e o f M e l q a r t a t T y r e , o f w h i c h n o r e m a i n s h a v e b e e n f o u n d , w a s b u i l t d u r i n g t h e r e i g n o f H i r a m i n t h e 1 0 t h c e n t u r y B C E . T h e 5 t h - c e n t u r y B C E G r e e k h i s t o r i a n t e l l s u s t h a t t h e r e w e r e t w o c o l u m n s a t t h e e n t r a n c e , m a d e f r o m t h e s a m e m a t e r i a l

a s t h o s e a t S o l o m o n ’ s t e m p l e . T h e c o l u m n s m a y e a c h h a v e b e e n t o p p e d w i t h a P r o t o - A e o l i c c a p i t a l . T h e f l o o r i n g o f t h e t e m p l e p r o b a b l y u s e d a l a b a s t e r s l a b s t o

c r e a t e d e c o r a t i v e p a t t e r n s .

Tyre city on the Mediterranean coast

1046 BC - 206 BC

Chin Dynasty

C H I N D Y N A S T Y

O n e o f t h e g r e a t e s t w o r k s i n t h e h i s t o r y o f s c u l p t u r e , t h e s e t o f f i r e d c l a y f i g u r e s k n o w n a s t h e C h i n e s e T e r r a c o t t a A r m y - m a d e d u r i n g t h e s h o r t p e r i o d o f Q i n

D y n a s t y a r t ( 2 2 1 - 2 0 6 B C E ) - c o n s i s t s o f 8 , 0 0 0 c l a y w a r r i o r s a n d h o r s e s w h i c h w e r e u n e a r t h e d i n 1 9 7 4 a d j a c e n t t o t h e t o m b o f t h e F i r s t Q i n E m p e r o r , Q i n S h i H u a n g d i ,

i n S h a a n x i p r o v i n c e , C h i n a . T h e f i g u r e s w e r e c o m m i s s i o n e d b y t h e E m p e r o r a f t e r h e b e c a m e E m p e r o r i n 2 4 7 B C E . W o r k s t a r t e d i n a b o u t 2 4 6 B C E a n d i s e s t i m a t e d

t o h a v e t a k e n a l m o s t 4 0 y e a r s t o c o m p l e t e , u s i n g 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 w o r k e r s . T h e r o l e o f t h e a r m y w a s t o s e r v e t h e E m p e r o r i n t h e a f t e r l i f e .

Terracotta Army in the tomb of Qin Shi Huang

1345 BC - 1521 BC

Aztec Empire

A Z T E C E M P I R E

T h e A z t e c w e r e m a s t e r b u i l d e r s a n d c o n s t r u c t e d m a n y d i f f e r e n t t y p e s o f s t r u c t u r e s , s u c h a s p y r a m i d s , b a l l c o u r t s , p l a z a s , t e m p l e s , a n d h o m e s . H o w e v e r , f o r t h e A z t e c ,

t h e y c o n s i d e r e d t h e T o l t e c t o b e a m a j o r i n f l u e n c e o n t h e i r o w n a r c h i t e c t u r e . T h e A z t e c a r c h i t e c t u r e w a s s i m p l e a n d e l e g a n t , b o l d a n d p o w e r f u l , a n d i t s m i x e d c o l o u r s

a n d s y m b o l s t h a t h e l p e d c r e a t e a u n i q u e s t y l e . A z t e c a r c h i t e c t u r e r e l i e d h e a v i l y o n c o s m o l o g y , a s t r o n o m y a n d r e l i g i o n , t h e i r m a s s i v e c i t i e s r e f l e c t e d t h e i r b e l i e f s a n d

i t ’ s a n i m p o r t a n t k e y i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h e i r h i s t o r y a n d c u l t u r e , a n d h o w t h i s a f f e c t s t h e i r b u i l d i n g s a n d c o n s t r u c t i o n s .

The pyramid of Kukulkan from the Maya empire

753 BC - 1453 BC

Roman civilization

R O M A N C I V I L I Z A T I O N

R o m a n a r c h i t e c t u r e c o n t i n u e d t h e l e g a c y l e f t b y t h e e a r l i e r a r c h i t e c t s o f t h e G r e e k w o r l d . T h e G r e e k s c e r t a i n l y h a d a p r e f e r e n c e f o r m a r b l e , a t l e a s t f o r t h e i r p u b l i c b u i l d i n g s . I n i t i a l l y , t h o u g h , w o o d w o u l d h a v e b e e n u s e d f o r n o t o n l y s u c h b a s i c

a r c h i t e c t u r a l e l e m e n t s a s c o l u m n s b u t t h e e n t i r e b u i l d i n g s t h e m s e l v e s . T h e s t o n e o f c h o i c e w a s e i t h e r l i m e s t o n e p r o t e c t e d b y a l a y e r o f m a r b l e d u s t s t u c c o o r e v e n b e t t e r , p u r e w h i t e m a r b l e . T h e a n c i e n t G r e e k s a r e r i g h t l y f a m o u s f o r t h e i r m a g n i f i c e n t D o r i c

a n d I o n i c t e m p l e s , f o r e x a m p l e , t h e P a r t h e n o n o f A t h e n s .

Parthenon, Athens in 1978

1464 BC - 1591 BC

Songhai Empire

S O N G H A I E M P I R E

T h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f S o n g h a i w a s a l s o v e r y c r e a t i v e a n d i n n o v a t i v e . M o s t b u i l d i n g s w e r e s m a l l a n d d i d n o t t a k e u p m u c h s p a c e . T h e y w e r e m a d e o f s t o n e a n d i n c l u d e d

m a n y I s l a m i c a n d A f r i c a n f e a t u r e s . T h e a r c h i t e c t u r e o f t h e S o n g h a i E m p i r e r e f l e c t s t r a d i t i o n a l b u i l d i n g s t y l e s o f t h e W e s t A f r i c a S a h e l , a s e m i a r i d r e g i o n o f W e s t A f r i c a

b e t w e e n t h e S a h a r a D e s e r t a n d m o r e h u m i d r e g i o n s t o t h e s o u t h . O n e o f t h e b e s t p r e s e r v e d e x a m p l e s o f S o n g h a i a r c h i t e c t u r e i s t h e T o m b o f A s k i a a n d i t s c o n n e c t e d

c o m p l e x o f m o s q u e s . B u i l t o f a c o m b i n a t i o n o f m u d b r i c k a n d w o o d t i m b e r s , t h e t o m b s t r u c t u r e r e s e m b l e s a s t e p p y r a m i d , b u t i n a m o r e r o u n d e d f o r m .Timbuktu city in Mali

700 BC

History of Malta

M A L T A

T h e l a r g e s t o n e t e m p l e s t r u c t u r e s o n M a l t a a r e a m o n g s t t h e e a r l i e s t s u c h c o n s t r u c t i o n s i n t h e w o r l d , l o n g b e f o r e t h e p y r a m i d s w e r e b u i l t i n E g y p t . B u i l t

b e t w e e n c . 3 5 0 0 a n d 2 5 0 0 B C , t h e t e m p l e s r e f l e c t , a n d w e r e p a r t o f , a p e r i o d o f g r e a t a r t i s t i c a n d a r c h i t e c t u r a l d e v e l o p m e n t i n M a l t a a n d G o z o . T h e t e m p l e s i n Ġ g a n t i j a , G o z o , a r e c o n s i d e r e d t h e o l d e s t , s u r v i v i n g , f r e e - s t a n d i n g m o n u m e n t s i n t h e w o r l d .

T h e y p r e d a t e t h e G r e a t P y r a m i d o f C h e o p s i n E g y p t a n d S t o n e h e n g e i n s o u t h e r n B r i t a i n b y a r o u n d 1 0 0 0 y e a r s . Ġgantija Temples, Xaghra, Malta

1400 BC - 1533 BC

Inca civilization

I N C A C I V I L I Z A T I O N

I n c a a r c h i t e c t u r e w a s i n h e r i t e d f r o m p r e - I n c a c i v i l i z a t i o n s . I n c a a r c h i t e c t u r e i n -c l u d e s s o m e o f t h e m o s t f i n e l y w o r k e d s t o n e s t r u c t u r e s f r o m a n y a n c i e n t c i v i l i z a t i o n .

I n c a b u i l d i n g s w e r e a l m o s t a l w a y s p r a c t i c a l a n d p l e a s i n g t o t h e e y e . S t o n e w a s t h e m a t e r i a l o f c h o i c e a n d w a s f i n e l y w o r k e d t o p r o d u c e a p r e c i s e a r r a n g e m e n t o f

i n t e r l o c k i n g b l o c k s i n t h e f i n e s t b u i l d i n g s . T h e s e r e c t a n g u l a r s t r u c t u r e s w e r e o f t e n b u i l t i n g r o u p s o f t h r e e o r m o r e , c e n t r e d a r o u n d a w a l l e d o p e n - a i r c o u r t y a r d . T h i s

a r r a n g e m e n t i s c a l l e d a k a n c h a a n d w a s v e r y c o m m o n .

Machu- Pichu, Peru

330 BC

Persian Empire

P E R S I A N E M P I R E

P e r s i a n a r c h i t e c t u r e i n t h e A c h a e m e n i d p e r i o d b e t w e e n 5 5 0 B C a n d 3 3 0 B C w a s i n f l u e n c e d b y t h e G r e e k s , t h e E g y p t i a n s , a n d t h o s e f r o m o t h e r p r o v i n c e s o f t h e

P e r s i a n E m p i r e . T h e f o c u s o f P e r s i a n a r t a n d a r c h i t e c t u r e d u r i n g t h e A c h a e m e n i d E r a w a s t h e c i t y o f P e r s e p o l i s , f o u n d e d b y D a r i u s t h e G r e a t i n t h e 6 t h c e n t u r y B C .

S u r r o u n d e d b y f o r t i f i e d w a l l s , P e r s e p o l i s i n c l u d e d a c o m p l e x o f s t r u c t u r e s b u i l t f r o m l o c a l l y p l e n t i f u l l i m e s t o n e . A r c h i t e c t u r e w o r k i n G r e a t P e r s i a h a s a h i s t o r y f r o m a t

l e a s t 5 0 0 0 B C E b u t t h e e a r l i e s t n o t a b l e a r c h a e o l o g i c a l w o r k s o f a r t i s t i c v a l u e i n I r a n a r e f r o m t h e A c h a e m e n i d p e r i o d . P e r s i a n a r c h i t e c t u r e u s e s s y m b o l i c g e o m e t r y a n d p u r e f o r m s s u c h a s t h e c i r c l e a n d s q u a r e , a n d p l a n s a r e b a s e d o n o f t e n s y m m e t r i c a l

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