Prehistoric Cypriot mud buildings and their impact on the formation of archaeological sites

The current research grew out of work on the Erimi Culture sites in the west of Cyprus at Lemba Lakkous, Kissonerga Mosphilia and Kissonerga Mylouthkia dating from c3500-2500/2300 B.C. The need to understand the nature of the archaeological deposits and the buildings which form the largest element of those deposits channelled the research along four main paths or aims: 1) the characterisation and classification of all Chalcolithic building elements setting them within a proposed scheme of building types, 2) the establishment of these within the framework of Middle Eastern building traditions with an indication of any cultural links, 3) the identification and characterisation of prehistoric building deposits and materials and, 4) the contribution of some thoughts to the understanding of site formation processes. Three avenues of study were followed. The first involved an investigation of the behaviour of the key elements of soil, clay and lime in order to be able to characterise building materials. A study of the archaeological evidence was then undertaken and a scheme for classifying building elements proposed. This was tested in the second avenue of study through experimental reconstruction at Lemba in which comparative modern materials and building types were examined. Further comparative material was obtained from the study and excavation of the recently abandoned village of Souskiou, this being the third avenue of study. This has also been used to identify ways in which buildings collapse or decay and become part of the archaeological record. From these studies a reference collection of comparative building materials and deposits is being assembled and used to explain prehistoric remains.In the final discussion, eight Chalcolithic building types were identified and described. The development of house form is also discussed and the emergence of two very characteristic building types, the courtyard house and the temple /shrine is proposed. A tradition stretching back into the Neolithic of Cyprus and the southern Levant is suggested with key architectural traits being highlighted. The significance of the lime plaster industry is also discussed in its Middle Eastern context. Finally, the key characteristics for identifying common building materials are described. This can be achieved using a hand-held, calibrated 10x magnification lens and is easily accessible to all field archaeologists. The understanding of site formation processes is a much longer term aim but initial results from the experimental work at Lemba and from the studies at Souskiou are presented

University of Minnesota Morris Historic Preservation Plan: A Plan for Landscape & Buildings

This historic preservation plan explores the origins of UMM’s landscape and buildings, describes how they evolved through time, assesses their current condition, and recommends practical strategies to carry the resources into the future

The Archaeology of Rock Art in Western Arnhem Land, Australia (Terra Australis 47)

Western Arnhem Land, in the Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory, has a rich archaeological landscape, ethnographic record and body of rock art that displays an astonishing array of imagery on shelter walls and ceilings. While the archaeology goes back to the earliest period of Aboriginal occupation of the continent, the rock art represents some of the richest, most diverse and visually most impressive regional assemblages anywhere in the world. To better understand this multi-dimensional cultural record, The Archaeology of Rock Art in Western Arnhem Land, Australia focuses on the nature and antiquity of the region’s rock art as revealed by archaeological surveys and excavations, and the application of novel analytical methods. This volume also presents new findings by which to rethink how Aboriginal peoples have socially engaged in and with places across western Arnhem Land, from the north to the south, from the plains to the spectacular rocky landscapes of the plateau. The dynamic nature of Arnhem Land rock art is explored and articulated in innovative ways that shed new light on the region’s deep time Aboriginal history

George Nakashima\u27s Arts Building and Cloister: A Program for Conservation

This is the first thesis generated under the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Pennsylvania and the Nakashima Foundation for Peace and George Nakashima Woodworker, S.A. entered into on the 1st of July 2014, which allow to study and document the Nakashima complex located at 1847 Aquetong Road, New Hope, Pennsylvania. The Nakashima complex comprises twenty-one buildings including family residences with furniture making facilities and storage spaces. Particularly, this thesis contributes to provide an informed understanding of the George Nakashima\u27s Arts Building and Cloister (1964-1967) through an examination of its contextual history, design and construction, changes over time, and a comprehensive building conditions assessment. As a conclusion, this thesis presents a series of recommendations for both the physical preservation and the long-term stewardship of the building

Stairway compaction using corner block list and its applications with rectilinear blocks

Corner Block List (CBL) was recently proposed as an efficient representation for MOSAIC packing of rectangles. Although the original method is really innovative, there still remains room for improvement for our purpose. This article proposes a compact algorithm for placement based on corner block list. By introducing the dummy blocks in CBL, our algorithm can intellectively employ dummy blocks in the packing to represent the placement including empty rooms, which corner block list cannot represent. Our algorithm can obtain the fast convergence to an optimal solution. Based on the compact approach, we propose a new way to handle arbitrary shaped rectilinear modules. The experimental results are demonstrated by some benchmark data and the performance shows effectiveness of the proposed method

History of Construction Cultures Volume 2

Volume 2 of History of Construction Cultures contains papers presented at the 7ICCH – Seventh International Congress on Construction History, held at the Lisbon School of Architecture, Portugal, from 12 to 16 July, 2021. The conference has been organized by the Lisbon School of Architecture (FAUL), NOVA School of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Portuguese Society for Construction History Studies and the University of the Azores. The contributions cover the wide interdisciplinary spectrum of Construction History and consist on the most recent advances in theory and practical case studies analysis, following themes such as: - epistemological issues; - building actors; - building materials; - building machines, tools and equipment; - construction processes; - building services and techniques ; -structural theory and analysis ; - political, social and economic aspects; - knowledge transfer and cultural translation of construction cultures. Furthermore, papers presented at thematic sessions aim at covering important problematics, historical periods and different regions of the globe, opening new directions for Construction History research. We are what we build and how we build; thus, the study of Construction History is now more than ever at the centre of current debates as to the shape of a sustainable future for humankind. Therefore, History of Construction Cultures is a critical and indispensable work to expand our understanding of the ways in which everyday building activities have been perceived and experienced in different cultures, from ancient times to our century and all over the world

NEGOTIATING HOUSEHOLD QUALITY OF LIFE AND SOCIAL COHESION AT UCANHA, YUCATAN, MEXICO, DURING THE LATE PRECLASSIC TO EARLY CLASSIC TRANSITION

The main focus of this project is to chronicle whether or not social inequality increased among households and community-level interactions in Ucanha, Yucatan, Mexico, at the time it was physically integrated with a larger regional polity headed by Ucí around the Terminal Preclassic/Early Classic (50 BCE – CE 400) transition. My research seeks to identify how social distinctions emerged during the early moments of social inequality and how these distinctions did or did not become a threat to social cohesion, as seen in the Early Classic “collapse” in some areas. Using a relational theoretical perspective, I argue that political authority and economic practices are embedded in moral expectations of a household quality of life that is negotiated by all actors. Trenching and broad-scale horizontal excavations document five variables of social distinction—architectural energetics, feasting, diversity of household assemblage, caching/burial practices, and the use of space—at three dwellings. Gini scores that calculate the distribution of fancy ceramics and labor investments in architecture also contribute to measuring household wellbeing at Ucanha. Results highlight differential, yet relatively high, quality of life during the Late Preclassic and then greater inequality and an overall decreased quality of life by the middle of the Early Classic (CE 400/450 – 600). Excavations from contexts associated with monumental architecture indicate vast labor inputs into Ucanha’s built landscape around the time of broader regional integration. Excavations and multi-elemental chemical analyses from the Central Plaza suggest this large public space was built during the Late Preclassic and was used for a variety of rituals that incorporated the populace through processions and performances. By the first few centuries into the Early Classic, however, the Central Plaza was walled off and access became limited and more tightly controlled. Thus, it appears emergent leaders at Ucanha, as evidenced by the presence of iconography related to centralized decision-making and possibly kingship, were successful in providing a high quality of life for their citizenry in exchange for labor and devoted followers during regional integration. Yet, during the Early Classic, household quality of life diminished, access to fancy ceramics became highly curtailed, and many residential platforms were abandoned likely as a result of leaders failing to meet the expectations of their followers