Peer Review Ancient Rome

Erin K: You did a good job of talking about each of the different kinds of living spaces and also gave a picture example of what it would look like.

Hailey: I liked how you not only talked about the arches, but you also went into detail about the domes.

Peer Review Ancient Greece

Becca:  I really liked how you used a lot of pictures.  You went into good detail about the sculptures and how they were masters of marble carving.

Erin: I liked how you went into detail about the different kinds of pillars and gave examples of each pillar.

Ancient Rome

Roman houses were typically decorated with paintings.  The painting was done on wet plaster.  There were four styles of paintings.  The first is painted stucco.  It would mimic different materials like marble and other stones.  The second style mimics architectural construction.  They would paint arches and columns.  The third style shows things that would never work in a house.  They paint things like plants animals, and weak columns.  The last style is large scenes and painted painting "hanging" on the walls.  Romans inherited a lot of the Greek style of furniture.  Romans are known for couches.  At night couches were used for sleeping.  Romans inherited the Klismos chair, but it wasn't the main chair that was used.  They had a Roman cathedra chair; in form it is close to the Klismos chair.

Pompeii was a town near Naples, Italy.  It was buried under the ash and lava after Mount Vesuvius erupted.  The ash and lava helped preserve the town.  Not only did it preserve the buildings, bodies were found under the ash and lava.  It was a tragic experience for people during this time, but it helped researchers find out more about Roman life.  It was like the town was frozen in time.

Current Applications

Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn14wkg0mhM

Ancient Greece

The Mycenaeans and the Minoans were ancient to Greece.  The palace of Knossos is one of the most important structures to Greece.  People lived in it for several of thousands of years.  It was abandoned after its destruction in 1375 BC.  This marked the end of Minoan civilization.  Greek mythology claims that the palace of Knossos was designed by architect Dedalos.  They claimed it was so complex that no one could ever find the exit.  King Minos held the architect captive in the palace, so Dedalos would not reveal the plans of the palace to anyone else.  Dedalos decided to build two wings to he and his son could escape the island.  Dedalos warned his son not to fly too close to the sun otherwise the wax would melt that held the wings together.  His son ended up flying too close to the son and fell to his death in the Aegean sea.

Greeks were known for their columns.  Not only were they efficient, but they also created beautiful designs on some columns.  The most common piece of Greek furniture is the Klismos chair.  It has legs that bow out.  The seat was usually made from leather straps and sometimes having a cushion on top of the straps.  The back of the chair curves so it supports ones back.  The Greeks had beds made out of wood, with a frame and legs.  Vases show that they arranged furniture for social engagement.  Another common piece of furniture was a chest.  They used these chests for storage.

Current Applications

Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6JJdzsE3_A

Peer Review

Angie: I liked how she wrote about all of the major cities and that she mainly focused on the materials they used to make their buildings. I thought the extra credit video was very interesting and tied well with the rest of her blog.

Anna: She did a really good job of putting good picture examples of what she was talking about.  I liked how she showed the layout of a homes.

Ancient Civilizations

In the the Middle East there were three civilizations that stood out during the ancient world.  These cities were Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia.  Mesopotamia was believed that they were approaching agriculture.  They were one of the most productive  grain-producing regions.  They had writing, mathematics, time, urban civilization, the sail, astronomy, the wheel, and a system of weights and record keeping.  The homes in this region were made out of mud, timber, and reeds.  Mesopotamia urban cities were full of ritual cult activities and industrial production.  Their palaces had many figures that stood guard at entrances.  Some of the figures were human, some were animals, and some were a combination of the two.  Most of their furniture did not survive, but there has been research done and it concluded that their furniture was made out of maple, boxwood, ivory, silver, gold, lead, copper, and iron.

Egypt was centered on the Nile.  They had lots of stone so most of their building were made from this.  Their religion was focused on the afterlife.  Egyptians were also famous for entombing the dead.  They believed they were putting their ruler's body to eternal rest.  Their furniture was separated into two categories: the importance of the simple geometry, and a sensitivity to the shape of the human figure.

Nubia is an African-influenced Egyptian culture.  Nubians valued metals.  Romans referred to them as "Aethiopia," which translates to "land of burnt faces."  Nubian pyramids are much smaller than Egyptian pyramids.  They looked to Egypt for inspiration, but they lived a simpler life.  They relied on local traditions such as: baskets, mats, and simple pieces of furniture.

Current Applications

Extra Credit Video of Ancient Egyptian Furniture

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6CNokOXXPY

Peer Review

Alex: I liked how she talked about igloos because I feel like I don't know that much about them.  I never knew that they would relocate during the summer and live in tents.

Amanda: I like how she gave examples of different types of natural materials used to make houses.  I also thought she did an excellent job of giving examples of post and lintels in houses today.

Prehistoric Period

The Prehistoric period had two ages the Paleolithic and the Neolithic.  The Paleolithic caves at Lascaux were not a place to live, but a place for ritual activity.  The painted animals and signs in the cave are might indicate how the particular group was founded.  Others believe that the painted animals and signs are showing their rituals or beliefs.  Remains of grasses have been found in the caves that might indicate that they sat on these grasses while working.

The Neolithic period refers to a time of construction and fashioning of objects such as stone.  Stonehenge is a big part of the Neolithic period.  Henge refers to as a Neolithic monument created in circular form.  Stonehenge was a place for ritual.  Stonehenge is constructed on a post-and-lintel.  To this day we still use a post-and-lintel construction.

Current Applications

Extra Credit: Virtual Tour of Paleolithic cave 

https://vimeo.com/40849516