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• Prehistoric architecture refers to the time before people could write, the time before written records
• The challenge is to "read" the non-verbal info found in objects
• Objects are the documents of record
• Direct human ancestors evolved in Africa from 2.3 million years ago
• Human ancestors include Homo Habilis, Homo Erectus, and Homo Sapiens
• The success of the human race was largely due to the development of tools made of stone, wood, and bone
• Humans spread from Africa into Southern Europe and Asia
• Humans spread from Siberia by foot into North America and from Southeast Asia by boat into Australia
• Stone Age tools:

  • Paleolithic (Old Stone Age, c. 40000-8000 BC) - mostly nomadic hunter
  • Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age, c. 8000-7000 BC)
  • Neolithic (New Stone Age, c. 7000-2300 BC) - began to settle year-round
• Bronze Age covered the Minoan Period of Crete and the Greek period
• Iron Age occurred 25 to 50 years before Julius Caesar
• Early known types of architecture are classified into Dwellings, Religious Monuments, and Burial Grounds
• Early Dwellings:

  • The development of more complex civilizations led to the division of the room into smaller ones for different activities
  • In places where no industrial revolution has occurred, houses show little difference from primitive ones
• Religious structures are classified into Monoliths and Megaliths
• Monoliths are isolated single upright stones, also known as "menhir"

  • Megaliths consist of several stones, such as Dolmens and Cromlechs/Stone Circles
• Stonehenge in England (2800-1500 BC):

  • Most spectacular and imposing of monolithic monuments
  • Largest stones weigh 45 to 50 tons and came from Wales 200 km away
  • Stones transported by sea or river then hauled on land with sledges and rollers by hundreds of people
  • Designed as a solar observatory to mark the sun's path during sunrise on Midsummer Day
• Burial Mounds:

  • Tumuli or "Barrows" are earthen mounds used for burials of several to a couple hundred ordinary persons
• Architectural Character:

  • Materials used include animal skins, wooden frames, and animal bones
  • Construction systems include existing or excavated caves
  • Decorations include cave paintings in Africa, France, and Spain