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 countries
surrounding 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:
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 Denise
Schandt-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 previous
technologies, 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 a
major role in the adoption of sedentariness as a way of life.