BUILDING MATERIALS AND METHODS

ARCHAIC TEMPLES

Early temples built of wood, mud-brick and thatch - big changeover was to stone.

Contact with Egypt – probably what made them think of stone building.

Coincides with rise of the “polis” – city-state.

Some early temples seem to have been cross-over – made of wood and stone.

Early temples (ARCHAIC) – made of local stone, usually limestone or conglomerate stuccoed.

MARBLE – WHY?

The next move was from using local stone to using marble.

Why? Denser, whiter, finer stone, but also much heavier.

Main quarries: Naxos, Paros, Mount Pentelikon; Thasos.

Sources of information on this? Vitruvius; remains in quarries; inscriptions, crane relief (See handout).

METHODS

Blocks of stone were cut at the quarry using wooden wedges and hammer and chisel.

“Ancones” or lifting bosses were left for easy lifting.

Sometimes holes were drilled in blocks for easy lifting (See Richter page 20).

Blocks were transported from the quarry by a variety of methods, including sleds on tracks, ox and mule carts and possibly rolling wooden frames.

EQUIPMENT

Primitive cranes and pulleys were used (see handout.

No putty, cement or binding agent was used in holding the blocks together.

Metal cramps were used to hold blocks in place (See Richter page 21).

Technique of ANATHYROSIS used to ensure better grip between blocks. (See handout).

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ANATHYROSIS

DECORATION ON THE DORIC ORDER-FROM THE EAST

SYMMETRY AND HARMONY

THE ROOF

The roof was first made of terracotta tiles, later of marble tiles. (So very heavy).

Each row of cover tiles ended in an antefix.

Typical Antefixes

ACROTERIA (6 ON EACH TEMPLE)