Design and Architecture Sample Paper
Comparing Minoan Design and Architecture With the Greeks Paper for my introduction to Ancient Greece and Rome class.
My professor is open to whatever topic we choose. Because I am in interior design my professor suggested that I focus on architecture and design during Ancient Greece. Design and Architecture Sample Paper
MY SUGGESTED TOPIC IS: Comparing Minoan Design and Architecture With the Greeks
I was thinking design comparison with say modern tastes or Minoan use of design principles (which of course they didn?t know about). Or perhaps comparing Minoan design and architecture with the Greeks to show influence or continuity
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Design and architecture has come a long way with a number of ancient civilizations taking credit for being the best of the best on grounds of design and architecture during their time periods. Ancient civilizations such as Minoan and Greek cultures are regarded as some of the pioneers of a number of design and architectural features that have stood the test of time. Minoan architecture consists of several structures that acted as centres of worship, administrative life, and commercial purposes among others. On a comparative look, Minoan design and architecture resembles Greek design and architecture in a number of ways (McEnroe, 2010). This article offers a comparative analysis of Minoan design and architecture with that of the Greeks.
Minoan design/architecture and Greek design/architecture: A comparative analysis
According to Bastéa (2000), Ancient Greece began around 2000 B.C and by then, the Minoans were the inhabitants of Greece. In other words, the Minoans built the foundation of Greece. Throughout history, there have been a number of significant design and architectural movements.Design and Architecture Sample Paper Perhaps, some of the most enduring movements are the Minoan and Greek designs and architecture.
On a closer examination, Minoan design and architecture compares with that of the Greek. Some of the unearthed artifacts reveal a people who had mastered the art of extraordinary development. Minoans built palaces meant for worship and other religious functions. Their palaces, just like those of the Greeks were laced with impressive interior and exterior design comprising of staircases, storage magazines, massive columns, and gathering outdoor places (Letesson and Vansteenhuyse, 2006). McEnroe (2010) argues that Minoans constructed their palaces by use of ceramic bricks and rough stones. The same also applies to Greek palaces where rough sea stones were used in the construction of palaces (Gazit, 2007).
Recently unearthed Minoan and Greek pottery indicate that the two do compare in some way. Vessels comprising of pottery during the Minoan and Greek period comprised of thin walls in addition to subtle and symmetrical shapes (McEnroe, 2010). The pottery styles of the two civilizations were characterized by very thin walls, elegant spouts, robust swollen curves, and a number of decorations. Some of the elegant characteristics of Minoan and Greek pottery is that their pottery is complemented by the dynamic lines of naturalistic scenes that skillfully decorated their surfaces (Palyvou, 2004).
As mentioned earlier, the Minoan culture influenced the Greek culture as the former existed first. Minoan towns, where settlements and palaces existed were properly designed with paved streets characterizing some of its towns. The town of Palekastro, for instance, was built on an organized plan with a number of homes having their own storage shrines and magazines (Pile, 2005). Palyvou (2004) asserts that a closer examination of Greek towns will leave one with the impression that just like the Minoan towns, Greek towns were carefully planned and designed too. Apart from having storage shrines and magazines, Greek towns had excellent water and sewer systems too.
If there is one thing that Minoans are accredited for, it has to be their excellent road network.Design and Architecture Sample Paper According to McEnroe (2010), paved roads did connect palaces and towns through the interior of the island. McEnroe (2010) further argues that some of the first paved road networks were constructed in the Neopalatial era, and went on to reach impressive density during the Postpalatial period. According to Bastéa (2000), several well preserved examples appear in Greek road ruins depict that they are a resemblance of Minoan road network. In the same manner that Minoan shaped or designed their road networks, the Greeks seem to have designed their roads in the same manner with paved roads connecting major towns and administrative centres (Pile, 2005).
The Minoans and the Greek people used to bury their dead. Interestingly, the structure/architecture and design of their tombs compare with each other in the manner in which they were constructed. Known as Beehive tombs, the Minoan and Greek tombs were designed in a dome shape with the main burial chamber resembling the shape of a beehive. Initially designed and used by the Minoans, the Greeks later used the same structure to bury their dead but since it required considerable effort to construct, it was only available to powerful leaders. However, their design and style of construction does compare with those used by Minoans in the ancient times (Letesson and Vansteenhuyse, 2006).Design and Architecture Sample Paper
Minoans are a people who loved art, color, and leisure, as depicted in majority of frescos or paintings found at a place known as Knossos. A closer examination of Minoan art indicates that their art featured some form of repetitive and geometric forms on floors, walls, and ceilings, though some of the most common were figurative and landscape elements (Letesson and Vansteenhuyse, 2006). Greek art and color also compares with Minoan art and color in some ways. An apt example of a Minoan fresco is a painting of one person holding a bull while another person jumps over it. This may have indicated a sporting event. Typical Greek art or paintings also indicate the same. Majestic figures and paintings reflecting power and strength of their gods have been found that closely compares with that of the Minoans (Gazit, 2007).
Majority of Minoan and Greek buildings and palaces appears to adhere to an almost rectangular shape or grid. Although they were not symmetrical, Minoan and Greek buildings during this time were constructed or designed in a rectangular manner with their walls comprising of mixed materials such as gravel, sun-dried bricks, stucco, stone, and timber (Bastéa, 2000). By comparing the most common material used for purposes of decoration, one is left with the notion that plaster was used during such ancient times to coat the floors and walls of Minoan and Greek buildings (Pile, 2005).
On grounds of construction, Minoan and Greek buildings compare on the fact that both of their houses and buildings were carefully designed and constructed with emphasis put on light, comfort, space, and adjustment to the hot climate that characterized the area. A closer examination of both Minoan and Greek architecture with regard to their buildings indicate that aspects of air flow was made possible by suitable placement of alternating partitions and doors in addition to the construction of roofed structures supported by columns that allowed the penetration of air and light (Chourmouziadou and Kang, 2008). Both Minoan and Greek homes were constructed based on the method of beam and column with the column?s trunk made of wood and its base comprising of stone (García, 2008).Design and Architecture Sample Paper
Both the Minoan and Greek walls were fortified so as to reduce or minimize foreign invasion. Fortification architecture was used to come up with some of the strongest walls able to stand foreign invasion. Huge stones known as ?Cyclops? were carefully carved and used to create a barrier for potential enemy during this time (Bastéa, 2000).
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Conclusion
All civilizations that ever existed in several places across the globe have had their own unique forms of art that differentiated or compared each to one another. Even though the Minoans lived slightly earlier than the Greeks, their design and architecture did compare with those of the Greeks in a number of ways. The art of shape and construction, the use of beams and columns, the manner of painting and pottery are some of the aspects that closely resemble each other. The Greeks breathed or made sure that Minoan design and architecture and continue to exist.
References
Bastéa, E. (2000). The creation of modern Athens: planning the myth (p. 123103). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Design and Architecture Sample Paper
Chourmouziadou, K., & Kang, J. (2008). Acoustic evolution of ancient Greek and Roman theatres. Applied Acoustics, 69(6), 514-529.
García, N. (2008). Classic sceneries: Setting ancient Greece in film architecture. na.
Gazit, E. (2007). Self-assembled peptide nanostructures: the design of molecular building blocks and their technological utilization. Chemical Society Reviews, 36(8), 1263-1269.
Letesson, Q., & Vansteenhuyse, K. (2006). Towards an Archaeology of Perception: ?Looking? at the Minoan Palaces. Journal Of Mediterranean Archaeology, 19(1), 91-119.
McEnroe, J. C. (2010). Architecture of Minoan Crete: constructing identity in the Aegean Bronze age. University of Texas Press.
Palyvou, C. (2004). Outdoor space in Minoan architecture:? community and privacy?. British School at Athens Studies, 207-217.
Pile, J. F. (2005). A history of interior design. Laurence King Publishing. Design and Architecture Sample Paper
