Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
CONCLUSION
h e technology of building construction is one of the salient factors dei ning a
civilisation (the term which goes best for signifying the broadest geographical con-
text). To share in the same technical resources for constructing premises serving
the public and private needs of society is the most salient outward and visible sign
of community. Accepting that the geographical expression, “the Ancient World”
connotes a “community”, it is thus a priority to demonstrate the consequential
unfolding of the various signii cant items noted here. h is has become an issue
since in recent years dates obtained by physical tests have upset inter regional
chronologies based on deduced reckoning from style, social theory etc. On the
other hand if a consequential history is derived from the signii cant items in the
record of the technology of building construction in “the Ancient World”, this is
a corroboration of its accepted community. And very proi table knowledge would
be gained by comparing the technology of building construction in “the Ancient
World” with that obtaining in other quarters of the globe, e.g. in India and South-
East Asia, in China and Japan, and in Central and Southern America etc.
Based on the material in this topic it is not possible by way of conclusion to
set out a coherent story of the development of building technology in the ancient
world. It is possible to recognise and isolate salient items which are comprehended
in this development, but not to show necessary interconnections between them.
Individual items are widely separated in time and place and there has been little
close consideration of their possible dif usion. All that can be done here is to set
down these conspicuous items. In due course others may sustain a connected story
of the developments.
To provide a background framework for these items it is useful i rst to reconsider
the prime factors governing building—i.e. the mental and material possessions
required for building construction.
(1) An understanding of the behaviour in accordance with natural physical con-
straints of elements of a stable structure.
(2) Some understanding of the properties of matter as they condition the strength
of the building materials.
(3) h e capacity to indicate/demarcate/set out what is to be built.
