Mycenaean Fortifications

Archeologists suggest that the large stones used in building the pyramids were transported by rolling them over logs or a wet, slippery, clay surface. These methods may have been effective in moving the blocks close to the building site, but do not explain how the massive

The civilians of Ancient Greece had to be resourceful. Most civilizations had rivers to channel, irrigate, and predict. Ancient Greece is a series of islands. This means that the people of Ancient Greece had to learn to live on the ocean. They had to deal with being more vulnerable to land attacks as they were used to battling with ships. And they also had to deal with huge ocean storms. These storms could destroy a new society with no notice. (Acrobatic, 2014)

Mesopotamians had the tendency to build their courtyards hidden from the front door view. In order to protect their house from street dust, they were placing them behind the corner of the passage.

This is proof of the Sumerian architectural abilities. The architecture in Mesopotamia are considered to have been contemporary with the founding of the Sumerian cities, but there was some complexity in the architectural design during this Protoliterate period (c. 3400-c. 2900 BC). This is shown in the design of many religious buildings. Typical temples of the Protoliterate period--both the platform type and the type built at ground level--are, however, much more elaborate both in planning and ornament. The interior was decorated with cones sunk into the wall, covered in bronze. Most cities were simple in structure, but the ziggurat was one of the world's first complex architectural structures.

In Document B it states that in Constantinople the elaborate defense worked to create a surrounding wall around Constantinople. The walls were erected in the 5th century to protect the city against the Goths and Huns. The Goths and Huns, captured Rome. They served their purpose well, holding off invaders for nearly one thousand years, a single wall bounded the city’s seaward sides, which were defended by the Byzantine fleet. On the landside, the Byzantines constructed a moat and three walls that were 25 feet thick. Invaders were faced first with the moat some 60 feet wide and 22 feet deep that was normally dry but could be flooded by pipes. Behind the moat was a low wall to shield a line of archers. If the attackers could overcome this first defense, they were confronted by a second wall, 27 feet high, which sheltered more troops. Beyond the second the third and strongest bulwark. Its towers, some 70 feet high, housed more archers and missile throwers. Only the force of gunpowder finally demolished the protecting walls, bringing Constantinople down. During 1,100 year history of the Byzantine Empire, 24 efforts were made to capture the city of Constantinople. Only two were successful. The Crusaders entered the city in 1204 but were eventually thrown out a few decades later. The Turkish invasion in 1453 marked the end of the Byzantine Empire. A couple examples of architecture in the Byzantine Empire

This was normally dry but could be flooded by pipes if necessary. Behind this was a set of three walls to get through. The first, a low wall to shield a line of archers. However, if attackers managed to get through the first wall, they had to overcome the second wall which was 27 feet high. This sheltered even more troops.

The Fulcher of Chartres begins when the Franks surrounding Jerusalem with its armed forces to prepare to lay siege upon the city. It describes the city’s location in the mountainous region, lacking rivers, woods, and springs. The only source of water that they are able to derive water from is from the Fountain of Siloam, that empties out it’s water at the foot of Mount Zion, flowing into the brook of Kedron, then from there, flows into the valley of Jehosaphat during the winter. The city is laid out beautifully. The tower of David residing on the west of the city is flanked from both sides of the city’s broad wall. The walls are built from solid masonry, said to be able to from any army. The Franks saw how difficult that it would be to invade the city with these walls in the way and they sought to scale the walls with ladders and the help of God. So they had ladders built and sent out the order to attack the city from all sides. Even with the ladders built, they found it useless to get passed the city’s walls. So they ended their attack. In hopes to consult a manner of getting within in the city, they held a council where they came up with the idea of constructing machines that would aid them in their siege and bring their soldiers closer to the walls. The siege machines was covered with hides and set out for the wall.

     Paralleling the pyramids in Egypt were the ziggurats of Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia (meaning between two rivers, the Tigress and Euphrates) began making these structures around roughly 2000 BC. They were made of bricks that they produced on the building’s work site. There were sun-dried bricks to make up the solid inside of the ziggurat, and there were kiln fired bricks that made up the structures façade. These bricks were much smaller than the stones used in Egypt and also did not have to be brought from far away. Some of the ziggurats were built on top of older ones. Like Egyptian pyramids, the ziggurat was believed to be a kind of gateway between heaven and earth, but unlike the pyramids, the ziggurats where not tombs for kings. Rather they were believed to be the earthly homes of gods. Egyptians built their massive structures outside of major populated areas. But the ziggurats were in prominent areas. Cities had their own patron god or goddess (some places even had two ziggurats, one for a god of both sexes) and priests were the only ones allowed into these temples. They had the honor of catering to the needs of the gods and were powerful figures in their respective communities. Mesopotamians also built the Tower of Babel, which was supposed to have been built as bridge from earth to heaven. It was most likely located in Neo-Babylonia (home of the Hanging Gardens) and was also one of

This is probably due to the following portion of the cylinder: “The population of Babylon calls blessings on my kingship, and I have enabled all the lands to live in peace. Every day I copiously supplied … geese, two ducks and ten pigeons more than the geese, ducks and pigeons …. I sought out to strengthen the guard on the wall Imgur-Enlil, the great wall of Babylon, and … the quay of baked brick on the bank of the moat which an earlier king had built but not completed, I … its work. … Which did not surround the city outside, which no earlier king had built, his troops, and the levee from his land, in/to Shuanna? … With bitumen and baked brick I built anew, and completed its work. … Great doors of cedar wood with copper cladding. I installed all their doors, threshold slabs and door fittings with copper parts.” *(British Museum)

At first glance of the masonry of the wall, the composite structure shows that some parts are not attributes to the reconstruction during the sixteenth century but can be attributed to another series of repairs made by Mamluke, Ayyubid or other earlier Islamic rulers. Meanwhile, lower sections such as the base sections, give evidence of construction committed by Roman or Byzantine builders. Reading through Hamilton’s excavation report, a person can correspond each different style and set of masonry to reconstruct the sequence of the wall’s construction. According to Hamilton’s report, there were two distinct styles of surface treatment that predominated over all others, and there was a third important class of masonry represented by three individual stones. The earliest detected type of masonry was Style A which is represented by three individual stones. Style A was found below courses 11 and 12 of the curtain. As Hamilton’s team excavated the area, they found remnants of an area they had limited information about.

These walls are one the first and final things discussed in The Epic of Gilgamesh. The great king is credited with their construction and had “seven masters lay [their] foundations” (38). Built with “masonry of kiln-fire brick,” the walls serve as a testament to Gilgamesh’s aptitude in using technology to civilize nature; he used the technology of kiln masonry to usurp elements of nature – fire and clay – and transmute them into bricks for the walls that isolate his city from nature (38). Furthermore, the walls separate the wilderness and nature of the steppe from the civilized city within them. They are the reason Uruk is a civilized city heavily detached from nature rather than simply nature with human edifices scattered on its surface; the city is a singular, civilized unit held together by the walls. They permanently altered the area from nature into civilization as parts of the once towering walls still stand were Gilgamesh erected them. Due to this, they serve as both proof of the king’s skill with technology and as his form of

On his research, he said that the stone walls were built "for defense" since some of them were not finished and there is no sign of military appearance. Also, he said that the meaning and symbolism of the walls are "prestige, status or royal authority" (Garlake 2002, par. 7) according to with his research.

     The Coloseum was built by Hebrew prisoners and slaves. Details of the actual construction are unknown. The framework of piers, arches, linked walls and vaults were constructed with travertine blocks. In order to support the great weight of the structure the

A large pile of ancient stone is no different than a giant stack of old stone, right? To look closely into an argument, sometimes a zoomed-out perspective is needed. In this case, its important to look at every detail to find out if the construction of pyramids and cathedrals were similar or different. On one hand, there are the ancient Egyptian pyramids, construced under the authority of the pharoahs through the use of many laboring workers. On the other, there are gothic cathedrals, built over a long period of time, employing several construction methods. Through the analysis of historical accounts and evidence, it is apparent that the similarities between the Great Pyramids and gothic cathedrals greatly endorse the use of techonological systems as fuel for societies that are constantly improving.

Have you ever wondered how ancient civilization built massive structures? Many ancient civilizations built things that served a multitude of purposes. Most of the purposes of these structures are already known but, there still may be unknown uses for the thing these ancient civilizations built. There also many different ancient civilizations like the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, Egyptian, Mayans, and Aztecs. Many of the things built in ancient times influenced the things that we build today. For example, the coliseum influenced the basic designs of modern football stadiums. Also the designs made by these ancient civilizations helped to change the way other civilizations made there monuments. For example, when the romans started to different types of columns and arches the style was adopted, modified, and used in the designs of cathedrals in Europe .There are many parts of these ancient buildings still undiscovered. For example there could still be sealed rooms in the pyramids of Giza. Usually when people start to research architecture made by ancient civilizations, they have to answer how were they built, and what were they built for.