The construction of monuments, such as temples, palaces and tombs, was one of the key features of developing civilizations. Most monuments had religious functions and were intended to legitimize the position of rulers who built them by connecting them with the gods.
Tombs in pre-dynastic Egypt (before 3100 BC) were simple, sand covered pits. Early royal tombs were elaborations pf this model, covering a rock cut chamber with a monument of sand.
Mud brick platforms called huacas appeared around the coast of Peru from 4000 BC. Used as ritual sites, they were often build in pairs.
The Pyramids built in Egypt were not isolated structures, but parts of mortuary(memorial) temple complexes. Egyptians believed that their kings became gods when they died so the tombs were dedicated to their worship.
After Old Kingdom came to an end, fewer pyramids were built and attention transferred to the mortuary temples like above. These were often built at foot of cliffs, which were possibly viewed as natural pyramids.
Ancient temples were not only places of worship, but also important centers of administration. Most were part of large tracts of land that provided considerable income and trading power. Before it was destroyed at the end of 7th century BC, the temple of Ashur - the city at Assyria's ancient heart - was the richest in the world.
Tombs in pre-dynastic Egypt (before 3100 BC) were simple, sand covered pits. Early royal tombs were elaborations pf this model, covering a rock cut chamber with a monument of sand.
Mud brick platforms called huacas appeared around the coast of Peru from 4000 BC. Used as ritual sites, they were often build in pairs.
The Pyramids built in Egypt were not isolated structures, but parts of mortuary(memorial) temple complexes. Egyptians believed that their kings became gods when they died so the tombs were dedicated to their worship.
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| Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut |
After Old Kingdom came to an end, fewer pyramids were built and attention transferred to the mortuary temples like above. These were often built at foot of cliffs, which were possibly viewed as natural pyramids.
Pharaohs gained such prestige from their building schemes that some even appropriated the projects of their predecessors, erasing their names and claiming them as their own.
Ziggurats such as this reconstructed example were wall stepped towers attached to major temples and were also used as stellar observatories. They provided an unbroken view across the plain of Mesopotamia.
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| Great Ziggurat of Ur |
Ancient temples were not only places of worship, but also important centers of administration. Most were part of large tracts of land that provided considerable income and trading power. Before it was destroyed at the end of 7th century BC, the temple of Ashur - the city at Assyria's ancient heart - was the richest in the world.
Most ancient societies used corvee labor to provide a regular supply of unskilled laborers. They worked on state building projects for a set amount of time each year instead of paying taxes in the form of money or produce.
The decreasing size of pyramids after the 4th dynasty is probably due to an increase in number of projects, rather than evidence that the 4th dynasty's grand projects had bankrupted the kingdom.
The Greeks and Romans continued the monumental tradition. In Europe the building of stone monuments was revived by medieval Christian Church.
In Mesoamerica, Olmecs built pyramid shaped mounds in 1000 - 500 BC. Successive cultures in the region built pyramid temples. To them, everything possessed a spirit, and mountains were particularly powerful beings, so places of worship were created in their image.
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| Great Pyramid, Chichen Itza |
The Greeks and Romans continued the monumental tradition. In Europe the building of stone monuments was revived by medieval Christian Church.
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