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MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

Rest 553: Materials of Construction and Ornament in Anatolian Architecture I

Fall 2010-11

Prepared By: HATEM HADIA

Brick, Stone and Clay Materials

Brick, stone and clay are the most important materials used in construction during the ancient

times and extending to our time. These materials have many important characteristics that

contributed to their use as a significant material used in the construction process by the

ancients. Therefore, this study addresses in brief the classification of both of these important

materials in construction since the existence of its appearance as material used in

construction, properties and in particular the overall methods used in construction.

Historically, settled communities first came into being a s a necessary result of the transition

from a food-gathering to a food-producing economy, and the impulse to build resulted from

the absence of shelter in the most productive areas. It seemed that during the fifth millennium

that the early traces of settlement development begun, particularly in the fertile countriessurrounding the Arabian desert. The reflection of their local peculiarities of environment was

finally rejected the earlier Nomadic forms of shelter. Briefly, the hard conditions of life led

the early communities develop better socially and technically. The following is a brief

classification and characteristics of Brick, Stone and Clay Materials used through antiquity:

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From the previously mentioned classification and characteristics it would be therefore clearly

be impracticable to treat the ancient world as a single unite. Additionally, in terms of when

clay artefacts make their appearance in Anatolia, and how and why clay was suddenly used in

great quantity in Anatolia, none of which could be specifically answered due to the lake of

information concerning the period extending between the X and VIII Millennium B.C.

nevertheless, a study on the evolution of the use of clay in Anatolia was made by DeniseSchandt-Besserat that he divided the use of clay in Anatolia into three phases:

I. Prior to 7500 B.C., adaption state, yet unknown.II. 7500-6800 B.C., featuring a wide use of clay for geometric objects, figuring,

containers, architecture, heating and storage units.

III. 6800-5800 B.C., exhibiting improvements and increases in the use of the previoustechnologies, the appearance of stamp seals, wall reliefs and household furnishing. It

is during this phase that clay is generally adopted in all sites.

And thus, the reason for the adoption of the use of clay as a raw material may correspond to

the forsaking of nomadic life as stated above, for which it was not suitable. It may have amajor role in the adoption of sedentariness as a way of life.