Neolithic Architecture 1 Neolithic Architecture In the Neolithic Period we find the first formal architecture. Formal architecture is planned and predesigned. The structures were usually public or shared by members of a group. The design of a structure expressed the aesthetic, social and religious values of the society. The first formal structures of the Neolithic period appear to be temples. Architectural Structures Some basic designs for archways and roofs that date from the Neolithic era are post-­
and-­lintel and corbelling. A basic post and lintel consists of two upright posts or pillars supporting a horizontal beam, or lintel, across the top. The width of a lintel is limited by its tensile strength. Tensile strength measures the point at which the lintel will break under its own weight or from the weight placed upon it. A corbelled arch is created with cantilevered stones. Cantilevered stones are supported only at one end. Each new row of stone extends farther toward the center of the opening than the row below it. It does not collapse because the greater part of each stone is supported. Post and Lintel Corbelled Arch Megalithic Architecture In the Neolithic era tombs and ceremonial structures were constructed from large stones. This is known a megalithic architecture, from the Greek words mega for large and lithos for stone. Stonehenge Stonehenge is located in the Salisbury Plane in southern England. The earliest configuration was built in about 2900 BCE. It was rebuilt and restructured over the centuries to include rings and horseshoes of stones, postholes and ditches. In the earliest phase, the site is marked by Aubrey holes, named for John Aubrey, the English antiquarian who discovered them. The Aubrey holes are significant because they form a celestial calendar. Completed Stonehenge (artist rendering) Neolithic Architecture 2 The most remarkable stone settings are the sarsen circle and the horseshoe of trilithons. The sarsens are sandstone and weigh 20 to 30 tons each. They were originally topped with a continuous circle of lintels, fitted together with mortise and tenon joints. The trilithons are freestanding post and lintel structures arranged in a horseshoe. Amid the arrangements sarsens and the trilithons are a circle and an oval of bluestones. The bluestones may have been transported from the Preseli Hills in Wales, about 200 miles from Stonehenge. Included within Stonehenge are the Slaughter Stone, the Alter Stone and the Heel Stone. The Heel Stone marks the rising sun on the summer solstice—the longest day of the year. This suggests that the primary use of Stonehenge was as an observatory and celestial calendar. The positioning and spacing of Aubrey holes can be used to mark solar and lunar events and to predict eclipses. Part of the Sarsen Ring Mortise-­tenon joints of sarsen stones Surely these occurrences were perceived to be mystical. We can assume that a variety of religious celebrations and rituals were practiced in connection with the observation and marking of solar and lunar events. The Slaughter Stone and the Altar Stone hint at the nature of these traditions. The great stones could have been transported and positioned using the technology known to Neolithic people. Using a variety of sledges, rollers and ramps, similarly large stones were maneuvered by the Neolithic people of Easter Island to erect their monolithic statues. These techniques were also used by the Egyptians to build the pyramids. Neolithic Architecture Terminology Formal architecture Megalith Aubrey holes Post and Lintel Tensile strength Corbelling Cantilever Trilithon Sarsen Mortise and tenon 3