Changes in Construction Technology in Cilician Architecture Between the 6th and 3rd Centuries BCE: the Arch and the Vault
Abstract
The emergence of the use of arches and vaults has been a subject extensively studied by scholars. However, due to a traditional misconception that persists at the popular level, the use of columns and straight-lined architrave systems continues to be associated with Greek architecture, while arches and vaults are linked to Roman architecture and engineering. This misconception is particularly sustained in discussions of the architecture of regions located far from major cultural centers. One such region is Cilicia. This study first examines the place of arches and vaults within ancient architecture and, in particular, the transformation they underwent between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC. It then focuses on the use of arches and vaults in the architecture of the Cilician region, which has not previously been the subject of a comprehensive study. The primary aim of the research is to explain the phases of development in the use of arches and vaults in Cilicia in light of new examples. In conclusion, it is understood that in the process leading toward true arches and vaults, the corbelling technique was employed in the architecture of Cilicia, as in other ancient regions of Anatolia, and that true arches and vaults were adopted in Cilicia without significant delay compared to developments in construction technologies in other parts of Anatolia.
Keywords
Cilicia, arch, vault, Corbelling Technique.
Supporting Institution
Bulunmamaktadır.
Ethical Statement
The study has no conflict of interest with any institution or individual
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