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The BRONZE AGE (around the 2nd Millennium BC)
With the improvement of method of production, there are new tools made of copper and bronze. Occurs the first major social division of labor, increasing wealth inequality. Then the craft separated from agriculture, is the second major division of labor. All this played a crucial role in the development of civilization. In the Nile valley, in Mesopotamia and China established a slave system, the first class of the state. All this led to the development of different spheres of human spiritual activity.
The overwhelming significance of monumental architecture associated with the development of religious beliefs, the cult of ancestors and nature. These were megalithic structures – menhirs (gr. meg). – a large, lit – rock) – single cigar-shaped stone pillars with a height up to 20 m (Brittany, France); sometimes they stretched in parallel rows for several miles (“the Stone army” – the Caucasus, Armenia; the alley of menhirs in Brittany); Continue reading
Early megalithic structures of Asia Minor
Large ceremonial structures IX Millennium BC have been discovered in Asia Minor. They belong to the era of the emergence of agriculture and animal husbandry in the society, under the influence of or directly from it happened later middle Eastern and European Neolithic. Structures are a large circle patterns, based on megalithic columns (3 m or more) of solid hewn stone. The most ancient of nowadays known are the temples of Göbekli Tepe and Nevali-Chori. In the Göbekli Tepe thus far excavated only four churches out of about two dozen. The diameter reaches some 30 m. On the columns there are bas-relief images of animals (foxes, boars, lions, birds, snakes and Scorpions) [6]. Although these temples are the oldest megalithic structures on Earth, it is unknown how they are related to European megaliths [7] .
European megaliths
Megaliths are prevalent worldwide mainly in coastal areas. In Europe they mostly date back to the Eneolithic and bronze age (3rd — 2nd mill B. C.), with the exception of the British Isles. Continue reading
Lace Gothic Prague Castle
The place is known to everyone, and it is called Prague Castle. Today our tour guide will be already known by our previous walking man – Dr. Frantisek Kadlec, Director of the tourism Department of the Administration of Prague Castle. So, in order to understand when and why the Gothic style appeared in the Czech Republic in General and Prague in particular, let us look a little into history.
Then Charles IV decided to invite to Prague architect and the first architect who comes to Prague for the construction of the Prague Castle became a French architect Mathieu of Arras. In 1344 he laid the first stone of the future Gothic Cathedral. The Gothic style was very different from its predecessor is quite simple Romanesque style. Now we are in the so-called Third courtyard of Prague Castle, and the very structure of St. Vitus Cathedral speaks eloquently about what Gothic architecture is very luxurious and magnificent.
Mathieu of Arras was destined to work on the construction of the Cathedral for eight years. He died in 1352. Then Charles IV was forced to seek a new architect, and he found him in the person of a young native Austrian city of Gmunden Peter Parler, who at the time of arrival to Prague was only 23 years old. Continue reading
