Power and Architecture: Monumental Public Architecture in the Bronze Age Near East and AegeanJoachim Bretschneider, Jan Driessen, Karel van Lerberghe Public buildings reflect the investment of social resources and are usually interpreted as the embodiments of political, social, religious and economic power. The architecture of such buildings is often especially devised to reflect the performance of this power, incorporating a symbolism that served as a signpost for a particular social order. This symbolism was especially carried by monumentality and enhanced by scale, location, decoration, materials and visual impact. By making particular use of the natural landscape and the artificially created environment, the monumentality of public buildings helped to improve social cohesion and legitimated a particular societal system. Moreover, their intergenerational use gave such buildings great potential for communication and remembrance, especially during specific ceremonies. This volume is the reflection of an international conference which brought together specialists from two sides of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Near East and the Aegean, two areas that interrelated at different levels and at different moments during the Bronze Age, in order to examine how public architecture was used within this process. |
Contents
The Destruction of Power and the Power | 23 |
R DITTMANN Elam and Babylonia Two Neighbours in the Third | 45 |
On the Beginnings of Minoan Monu | 73 |
R FITZSIMONS Architecture and Power in the Bronze Age Argolid | 93 |
R LAFFINEUR Building for Ruling Architecture and Power | 117 |
ture in the Late Bronze Age Peloponnese | 143 |
J OATES Monumental Public Architecture in Late Chalcolithic | 161 |
The Origins of Minoan Pala | 213 |
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Common terms and phrases
administrative Aegean Ancient appear Archaeology architecture ashlar Babylonia blocks bricks Bronze Age building built central central court complex construction court Crete culture destruction earlier Early Early Dynastic East Eastern effect elite especially evidence example excavated façade fire fortification function gate Grave Hall houses important impressive increase indicates Knossos Late later least Leilan LH IIIB Malia masonry material Mesopotamia Messenia Middle millennium Minoan palaces monumental Mycenae Mycenaean nature Northern Op.Cit original Palaikastro palatial PELON perhaps period phase political poros probably reflect region remains represent result rooms seals seems served settlement side similar social Society Southern space stone structures Studies Subartu suggest Susa symbolic techniques Tell temple tholos tombs tion town Uruk wall WRIGHT