Blog Post 2: Comparative Analysis: Pikillacta and Thamugadi

This week’s blog post will examine the Wari military center of Pikillacta and the Roman colonial center of Thamugadi.  Both sites were archeologically excavated, which enables experts (and Art History students) to examine the ruins and derive meaning.  This analysis will start off by briefly summarizing the literature and highlighting the relevancy to our studies.  Furthermore, this post will compare the two sites and highlight the similarities and differences between them.  The reader should acquire a good understanding of both Wari and Thamugadi, in terms of the physical and social meaning.

The Wari civilization existed between about 500 to 1000 CE located in modern day Peru.  Examining the Wari military center of Pikillacta, the most unique features is the rigid geometry.  They used a grid pattern, which is a well-known form of planning used in Western civilization.  During the archeological dig many misleading symbols were found.  They found grand monuments, such a 12-meter walls and the “turquoise treasure”, but also rooms that suggested living quarters.  Furthermore, some of the rooms appeared to have no window, door, or connections to the roads.  They looked for ceramics to suggest habitation but couldn’t find enough to prove people lived at the site.  Many theories were suggested, including a: prison, insane asylum, state storage facility, military complex, and village.  In any case, these forms gave a way for typology and a baseline for Wari social behaviour and organization.

Timgad (Thamugadi in old language) was founded by Emperor Trajan around AD 100, in modern day Algeria.  It was significant because it represented the largest use of grid planning by the Roman Empire.  It should be noted, that as the city expanded it lost some of its structured grid shape.  Timgad was used for protection against the Berbers of the nearby mountains.  Its primary purpose was for protection of the important people, located at the center.  However, much later in the 5^th Century vandals destroyed the city.  Luckily, for our purposes, the Saharan sand preserved it very well!

Wari and Timgad have some important similarities and differences.  Both utilized the rigid grid pattern of planning.  Due to the fact that there is no definite answer of why Wari was built, it is difficult to contrast the historical uses. However, some unique attributes suggest they had been done to achieve similar goals.  The grid form is significant because it represents the manipulation of land to achieve the goals of society.  Furthermore, the use of such planning allowed for control of: the flow of people, more precise organization, military structure, protection of the governors and rulers (lived in the center), and class distribution.  This signifies social hierarchical order, where the riches live in the center and poor live near the periphery.  Furthermore, these complex planned structures show the need for protection and the control by rulers.  Therefore, there are some linkages in the meaning of the structures but we are unsure if the Wari and Timgad were in fact used for the same purpose.

Blog Post 1: Street View Walk Through Rome

Rome, the Eternal City, has many important ruins to see.  In this brief discussion, I will tour Rome virtually using Google Earth and Frommer’s Tour Guides.  The purpose will be to observe space, place, and culture while analyzing the method in which the content is presented.  Tourism is a large industry, and the way in which content is presented can play a large role in how people form conceptual ideas about it.  This virtual tour aims to determine what these fictional or conceptual ideas are and how they affect our judgment of other cultures, societies, and architecture.

            Before starting the tour I examined the introduction to Rome provided by Frommer, which quickly sets the tone.  It suggests that seeing all of the ruins would be difficult, due to the vast amount of them. However, it highlights the romantic feel by suggesting travellers should have a glass of Chianti wine to experience the ‘true flavour of Rome’ or nightly walks.  This tone has likely been set to attract foreign visitors to visit the area.  However, inherently the tone gives visitors a falsified “romantic” feel of Rome and the sights they see.  During my first visit to Western University, my friends and family’s first reaction to the old stone buildings was how beautiful they were.  This is likely a subconscious link to the similarities of Roman architecture and the associated romantic theme (or at least some form of ancient architecture), created by the tourism industry.

            I started my tour in Via Sacra in the Roman Forum and ended in Circus Maximus, although for our discussion I will only examine a couple of sites that had the most applicable content.  Rostra, the first structure I analyzed, was a podium used by dictators and Caesars to address the Forum below.  The elevated structure put the ruler or the speaker above everyone else, signifying dominance and power.  Furthermore, it offered protection and limited accessibility by segregating the dictator from the people.  The columns surrounding it and the elevation are two signature tools used in architecture to display Roman power.  Interestingly, we still use elevated stages today!  

            The Colosseum, also know as Flavian Amphitheatre, is a well known Roman artifact worldwide.   It was designed to appeal to the masses attracting approximately 50,000 people. Seating was done by class, which signified power and control of the rulers over their people.  The circular shape was largely enabled by the ‘mortar’ that the Romans had created, which was lost after Rome fell.  The sheer size and extravagance that was created for entertainment, shows the wealth and power than the rulers and upper class had.

            These architectural traits are often used today to represent historical constructs and ideologies.  We still use the same structural premise for sporting arenas as was use for the Colosseum.  Furthermore, we see the use of columns in banking buildings to symbolize power and a less involvement/restrictive government.  The information from Frommer’s website was informative, however it appears the tourism industry has added the romantic aspect to the association of Rome.

Introduction Blog Post: About Me

Hello, my name is Tim Ropchan and I am a forth year Urban Development Student.  I am taking Visual Arts History 3388H to get a historical context of Architecture.  I hope to soon be working in the exciting real estate development and acquisitions side of the business.  However, I am interested in analyzing and learning how different physical forms can effect the people living within them.  I hope that this course enables me to make better informed decisions within the real estate sector.  The purpose of this blog is to examine different forms of architecture, starting with Rome and moving all the way to the North American Grid.

I have never studied Visual Arts History or any course directly focused on architecture, but I find that modern 'green' architecture to fascinating.  In many cases 'green' technology has proven not to be feasible, but the aesthetic appeal has overridden this in modern architecture.  Today, we find many example of these new forms in the built environment.  Despite the obvious good environmental impact, I am very curious to understand more about why people seem to be attracted to such styles.  Below is a picture of the Highline in NYC, a garden promenade that was created on top of an abandon railway.  The transformation has turned an unappealing piece of infrastructure into a social platform which offers positive environmental impacts.  Furthermore, new architecture has enable the concepts of 'vertical gardens'. Even though we may not cover such topics within this class, learning the underlying historical implications and effects of architecture and urbanism will likely offer a clear perspective on more modern examples.

Highline in NYC

Vertical gardens, in urban life