History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons^™

Architecture As Political Symbolism: Power, Authority, & The Built Form, Naomi Minwalla

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

This study examines how architecture functions as a medium of political symbolism, exploring the ways in which built environments communicate authority, ideology, and collective identity. Drawing on theoretical perspectives from Émile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Murray Edelman, the research first establishes how political symbols shape social cohesion, legitimize authority, and construct political meaning. The study then applies architectural interpretation frameworks developed by Martin Warnke, Erwin Panofsky, and Alois Riegl to analyze how symbolic meaning is embedded within architectural form, spatial organization, and ornamentation.

Using a qualitative comparative case study design, the research analyzes two major religious structures: the Seville Cathedral …

Historic Churches Of Sheboygan, Erin Brehmer

Theses

This project focuses on the histories and architecture of six nineteenth- and early twentieth-century churches in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and developing a museum program about them. The aim of the project is to add to the art historical knowledge of Midwest architecture by researching the Greek Revival architecture used by First Baptist Church of Sheboygan; the Gothic Revival styles used by Grace Episcopal Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Hope Reformed Church, and St. Clement Catholic Church; and the Byzantine ornamentation used by St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Church. Furthermore, this project uses the historical findings to create a museum public program …

So There I Was, Jesse Marie Baggett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This written thesis provides a description and analysis of my thesis exhibition, So There I Was, which presents a body of ceramic sculptures and paintings that explore themes of adventure, travel, and shared experiences. The work reimagines personal experiences through a cast of animal characters, with a rabbit acting as a stand-in for myself. These narratives are inspired by events from my own life and are transformed into imaginative scenes that emphasize playfulness, wonder, and storytelling.

The sculptures combine toy-like animal figures, pull carts, and miniature architectural structures to create playful environments that resemble playsets or staged scenes where …

77 | Khirbat ‘Amra: A Rural Site From The Hellenistic To Early Islamic Periods In The BeʼEr Sheva‘ Valley, Itamar Taxel, Noé D. Michael

IAA Reports—Monograph Series of the Israel Antiquities Authority

This volume constitutes the final report of the large-scale salvage excavations directed by Gil Tahal on behalf of the IAA in 1993–1994 at the site of Khirbat ‘Amra, in the north-central area of the Be’er Sheva‛ Valley. The excavations revealed architectural remains and finds dated mainly to the Hellenistic until the Early Islamic periods, in addition to scantier remains or isolated finds from the Chalcolithic period, the Iron Age II and the Ottoman period. Khirbat ‘Amra is one of the largest multiperiod sites in the Be’er Sheva‛ Valley, specifically in the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods. Furthermore, Tahal’s excavations were …

Presence Of The Past: The Translation Of Traditional Culture Into Contemporary Form Among The Igbo Peoples Of Southeastern Nigeria, Nelson Agalaba

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architecture serves as the physical embodiment of a group’s cultural values, history, and social dynamics- or identity. The arrival of European colonialism and modernism brought about a paradigm shift, prioritizing a universal European aesthetic and “international style”, displacing indigenous architectural traditions and severing the deep connections between culture and the natural and built environments. The global south has experienced the brunt of this process, especially the African continent. For example, the Igbo peoples of southeastern Nigeria have lost nearly all examples of their building traditions and have been in a constant struggle to create an architecture that captures their rich …

Visibly Invisible: Reclaiming Atlanta Black Architecture Through Black Expression, Sean M. Spencer

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architecture has long grappled with questions of self, community, and cultural identity. While the number of Black architects is growing, architecture that genuinely reflects Black identity remains rare. This lack of representation has contributed to a sense of invisibility for Black communities within the built environment—whether by design or neglect. There is an urgent need to define and celebrate Blackness and Black space in ways that reflect the cultural richness of Black communities. As George Will points out, broad labels like African American or African often obscure the unique cultural experiences within Black communities. Historically, the lack of economic and …

“Gli Scheletri Della Dittatura”: Fascist Art, Architecture, And Monuments In Modern Italy, John "Jack" Moore

History & Classics Undergraduate Theses

When Italy reconstituted itself as a republic in 1948, it inherited the art, architecture, and monuments that were constructed under Fascism. Many of these artifacts contained inherent Fascist imagery and were made to exalt the regime, but Italy’s postwar government – known as the First Republic – neglected to systematically confront them. This mirrored the First Republic’s approach to shaping Italy’s memory of Fascism, as the government established an anti-fascist narrative without addressing the country’s support for the regime. During the 1980s, notions of anti-fascism began to fall alongside the political power structure upholding them. This coincided with the rise …

Remains Of The Late Roman To Late Ottoman Periods At Miska In The Southern Sharon (Pp. 85–98), Polina Spivak

'Atiqot

Ten squares were excavated in four areas (A–D) at Miska, revealing a long and detailed stratigraphic sequence, from the Late Roman to the late Ottoman periods. In Area A, a large refuse pit was revealed, containing a considerable amount of glass shards and debris of a glass furnace, dating from the Late Roman–Byzantine periods. Glass production was an important activity in the region of Miska, likely related to the local availability of sand and fuel. Miska served as a station in the Roman road system, which expanded during the Byzantine period, with the Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and …

Remains From The Roman Until The Crusader Periods In Tiberias, Aviv Hotel (With A Contribution By Yael Gorin-Rosen) (Hebrew, Pp. 63*–88*; English Summary, Pp. 231–233), Oren Zingboym, Aharon Amitai, Dina Avshalom-Gorni

'Atiqot

Two excavation areas (A, B) were opened in the precincts of the Aviv Hotel in Tiberias. Five strata were identified: architectural remains from the Roman period (Stratum 5; 50 BCE–late third century CE); part of a mosaic pavement, the remains of a building and a plastered pool from the Byzantine–Umayyad periods (Stratum 4; fourth–eighth centuries CE); wall segments from the Abbasid period (Stratum 3; ninth–eleventh centuries CE); a reservoir and the corner of a building from the Crusader period (Stratum 2; twelfth–thirteenth centuries CE); and remains of a modern building and refuse (Stratum 1; twentieth century). The finds included pottery …

Statues From The Eastern Circus At Caesarea Maritima (Pp. 141–159), Rivka Gersht

'Atiqot

Fragments of four statues were uncovered during the 2001–2004 excavations in the Eastern Circus at Caesarea. These were clearly part of the decoration scheme of the spina. Three of the fragments are of human figures—two belong to draped female figures—and the fourth is a fragment of an animal (a bull?). This article attempts to interpret each of the sculpted images within the environment of the circus. It appears that the Eastern Circus was affluently decorated, in accordance with the findings from other circuses throughout the Roman Empire.

The Spina (Barrier) Of The Eastern Circus At Caesarea Maritima (Hebrew, Pp. 1*–62*; English Summary, Pp. 217–230), Yosef Porath

'Atiqot

The IAA excavations at the Eastern Circus of Caesarea were limited to two excavation areas (VI and VIa) and the anastylosis of the obelisk. Area VI was opened parallel and perpendicular to the obelisk, and Area VIa was opened 150–185 m south of the obelisk, revealing the remains of the spina, meta prima and arena floor. Four architectural strata were revealed in both areas: Stratum IV comprises pre-circus remains; Stratum III, the construction of the Eastern Circus in the second century CE until its abandonment in 640 CE; and Strata II and I attest to post-circus activity at the site, …

The Ottoman Building In The Boverel Quarter, ‘Akko (Pp. 187–191), Yael Alef

'Atiqot

The Ottoman (WIZO) building in the Old City of ‘Akko was documented by the author as a basis for its conservation. It is of the Central-Hall House type that developed in Lebanon from the iwan house, appearing in Palestine in the last quarter of the nineteenth century CE. Some 120 houses of this type were documented in the Old City of ‘Akko, comprising about 12% of the total number of houses in the Old City, and hence its significance in shaping the urban character of the city. No historical evidence was found for dating the WIZO House, and therefore its …

Remains From The Pottery Neolithic Period Andearly Bronze Age At Tel Magal(Hebrew, Pp. 1*–38*; English Summary, Pp. 115–116), Uzi ʻAd, Eli Yannai

'Atiqot

The site, located on the western fringes of the Samariafoothills,lies on the route ofthe Via Maris, as it winds northward from Afeqto Khirbat Yamma and Tel Jatt, and approachesNaḥal ʻIron.Eight excavation squares were opened,uncovering nine strata,from the PotteryNeolithic period (the Yarmukian and theJericho IX and Lodite cultures); from the Wadi Rabah culture;from Early Bronze Age IB; fromEarly Bronze Age II; and from Early Bronze Age III.The layers fromtheearliest strata contained potsherds, flint artifactsand animal bones. The architectural remains of theEarly Bronze Age strata conform toother contemporary structures, some werebuilt with curved walls, somewith curved and straight walls, and some withstraight …

Mosaic Floors, Liturgical Vessels And Furniture, Andarchitectural Sculpture From The Byzantine Monasteryin Naḥal Qidron, Jerusalem (Pp. 83–100), Lihi Habas

'Atiqot

Salvage excavations in Naḥal Qidron, southof Jerusalem, revealed a monastery adornedwith mosaic floors. A composition of geometricinterlaces populated with animals decorated thefloor of the church hall, while geometric andvegetal carpets decorated the vestibule.Stylistic and technical analyses of the mosaicsindicatea datein the mid-sixth century CE.Liturgical furniture madeof imported marble, alongside local stoneimitations, as well as architectural sculpture,were also found at the site. Fragments of two liturgical vessels, a marblepanel, a fragment of a leg of an altar table and a limestonebracket were found.

Remains Of The Wadi Rabah Culture, Early Bronze Age Ib And The Intermediate Bronze Age At ‘En Esur (‘Ein Assawir), Area J (Hebrew, Pp. 23*–43*; English Summary, Pp. 104–106), Eli Yannai

'Atiqot

The excavation at ‘En Esur Area J revealed six strata, the earliest dating to Pottery Neolithic A (Wadi Rabah culture; Stratum VI). Stratum V (Early Bronze Age IB) yielded stone foundations of three buildings: round, rectangular and rhomboid. The round building was a large silo; its upper faces were leveled to bear mud bricks. Within the rectangular building were two flat stones that probably served as bases for wooden pillars. The third, rhombus-shaped building, was built of large, flat fieldstones, and comprised two broad rooms connected by a stepped opening. Bases made of large flat stones were found in the …

Remains Of The Wadi Rabah Culture And The Early Bronze Age Ia–B At ‘En Esur (‘Ein Assawir), Area I (With A Contribution By Yossi Nagar) (Hebrew, Pp. 1*–21*; English Summary, P. 103), Eli Yannai

'Atiqot

Four squares (B–C/3–4) were opened in a salvage excavation at ‘En Esur Area I, exposing eight settlement strata. Stratum VIII, dating to the fifth millennium BCE (Wadi Rabah culture) yielded a few fragments of bow-rim jars, grooved potsherds, sherds with rope and painted decorations and a single fragment of a DFBW vessel. Two strata (VII–VI) date from Early Bronze Age IA; the finds include the stone foundation of a rounded building and an early type of gray bowl. Strata V–II, dating to Early Bronze Age IB, include stone foundations of round dwellings. A decorated jar containing an infant burial was …

Building Remains And A ‘Burial Enclosure’ From The Byzantine To The Mamluk Periods At Bet She’An (Youth Hostel) (With A Contribution By Alexandra Sardoyev) (Hebrew, Pp. 1–63; English Summary, Pp. 119*–128*), Ofer Sion

'Atiqot

A salvage excavation conducted at the site of the Bet She’an Youth Hostel, on the eastern margins of the city, revealed remains of four buildings, tombs and water installations belonging to eight strata. In the lowest two strata was a Late Roman and Byzantine ‘burial enclosure’ comprising a stone foundation (Stratum VIII), a burial cave and a cist grave (Stratum VII). Buildings were erected among the burials in Stratum VI and these revealed a number of alterations, made during the Umayyad period (Strata V–IV), until their destruction in the 749 CE earthquake. Abbasid-period Stratum III represents construction following the earthquake. …

The Burial Ground At Ḥorbat Za‘Aq (Pp. 1–23), Irit Yezerski

'Atiqot

Thirty-two rock-cut burial tombs were documented in the burial ground excavated at Ḥorbat Za‘aq, in the southern Judean Shephelah. The majority of the tombs date to Iron Age IIB–III; one tomb (Tomb 13) dates to MB IIB–C; another (Tomb 48), to the Roman or Byzantine period; and two tombs (Tombs 22 and 23) were reused in the Early Roman period. These tombs probably belonged to families who lived in villages or farms in the vicinity of the burial ground. The Iron Age IIB–III rock-cut tombs at H. Za‘aq were hewn according to local architectural traditions; however, they share certain features …

An Early Islamic Settlement And A Possible Open-Air Mosque At Eilat (With A Contribution By Tamar Schick) (Pp. 129–165), Yehudah Rapuano

'Atiqot

Salvage excavations were carried out in the southernmost sector of an Early Islamic settlement within the industrial zone of Eilat. Three separate, rectilinear building units were uncovered, situated in close proximity to one another, each comprising rooms and courtyards. This Early Islamic village was part of a wider phenomenon of settlements that flourished on the desert periphery, in the shadow of the ancient port city of Ayla. After its abandonment, in the later part of the eighth century, the site was briefly reused, evidently in the ninth century; this use is marked by pits, some of which contained burials.

Ḥorbat Duvshan: A ‘Golan’ Chalcolithic Site In Eastern Galilee (Pp. 19–35), Howard Smithline

'Atiqot

The site lies in the center of the Korazim Plateau, which extends from the Hula Valley southward to the Sea of Galilee. Three squares were excavated: two (Sqs 1, 3) revealed the remains of very poorly preserved structures dating to the Late Chalcolithic period, and the third (Sq 2), a portion of a structure or complex rich in ceramic finds. The small excavation at Ḥorbat Duvshan is the first in the eastern Galilee to reveal definitive ‘Golan’ affinities: its ceramic repertoire is identical to that of the Golan in its distinctive dark, reddish brown basaltic ware and in its typology.

Remains Of The Mamluk And Ottoman Periods At Kafr Kanna (Pp. 57*–84*), Hervé Barbé, Anastasia Shapiro

'Atiqot

Two separate areas (Areas 10 and 20) were excavated on Churches Street in Kafr Kanna. In Area 10, five phases were observed, ranging in date from the Mamluk (construction phase) through the Ottoman (destruction phase) periods. The pottery finds display a relatively homogeneous Mamluk-period corpus, including glazed and unglazed wares, which date between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries CE. The pottery finds and the stone objects (e.g., grinding and crushing tools) attest to domestic activities. In Area 20, remains of wall segments and floors were encountered. The dismantling of the floors, and the excavation of the intermediate fills, produced some …

Late Byzantine Buildings On The Eastern Fringes Of Tel Shiqmona (Hebrew, Pp. 99–129; English Summary, Pp. 93*–94*), Hagit Torge, Uzi ‘Ad

'Atiqot

Excavations at Tel Shiqmona, located on the southern outskirts of Haifa, revealed the remains of ashlar-built residential structures (Areas A–C); a large building, probably a basilica church (Area D/E); a foundation of a (city?) wall (Area F); two compounds (Area G), probably part of an industrial area; and a rock-hewn well (Area H). Based on the pottery vessels, metal artifacts, glass finds and coins, it seems that the buildings in Areas A–E were constructed during the second half of the sixth century CE, and were probably part of a neighborhood situated along the eastern fringes of the settlement. The buildings …

Crusader Remains In The Muristan, Old City Of Jerusalem: A Decade Of Archaeological Gleanings (Pp. 137–153), Amit Re’Em, Jon Seligman, Zubair Adawi, Rafeh Abu Raya

'Atiqot

The Muristan is located in the heart of the Christian quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. During the twelfth century CE the area was given to the Hospitaller Order of St. John, and it included the following major buildings: a hospital, ecclesiastical buildings and various large secular buildings. During excavations at the site, remains pertaining to these architectural units were discovered, including massive piers and ashlars, displaying typical Crusader diagonal tool marks, and stones bearing mason's marks. The meager finds from these excavations are an important contribution to the reconstruction of the Hospitaller Quarter of Jerusalem during the twelfth …

Remains Of A Hall North Of Caesarea (With A Contribution By Donald T. Ariel) (Hebrew, Pp. 57–61; English Summary, Pp. 57–58), Gershon Edelstein

'Atiqot

A large hall, in the shape of a long octagon with two interior, semicircular apses, was revealed. Four marble column bases were found in situ in the northern apse, and remains of a black-and-white mosaic floor survived in the center of the hall. These remains were probably part of a public building (bathhouse?) or a large private dwelling in the northern suburbs of Byzantine Caesarea.

A Salvage Excavation At ‘Ein Ez-Zeituna In Naḥal ‘Iron (Pp. 31–69), Don Glick

'Atiqot

A monumental, nearly square, two-story peristyle building was revealed, dating to the second century CE. It was flanked on the east by a row of shops and on the west, by additional architectural remains. The structure is a typical Greco-Roman peristyle building, consisting of a central colonnaded courtyard, a portico and 20 rooms. The strikingly meticulous craftsmanship of the building’s construction and the high-quality stone masonry attest that it was built by professional builders. The finds included large amounts of Early Roman potsherds; several basalt vessels, pestles, grinding stones and millstones; metal objects, mostly nails; and domestic glass vessels from …

Design Analysis Of The Peristyle Building From ‘Ein Ez-Zeituna (Pp. 71–75), David Milson

'Atiqot

The peristyle building at ‘Ein ez-Zeituna followed the design of the Roman pedes according to a very strict plan. The workmanship of the building is outstanding, marking it as an architectural landmark in public construction in Roman Palestine.

Aesthetics And Hidden Orientalism In Chicago's Nickerson Mansion, Julie Treumann

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis offers new research on the Sitting Room at the Nickerson Mansion, an 1883 Gilded Age-era house in Chicago, IL. As a rare extant example of neo-Islamic interior design, it provides a new lens on Orientalism in American domestic architecture and a new perspective on Mrs. Nickerson, a little-known female tastemaker of her time.

Ultrabaroque Grandeur: Examining The Churrigueresque In Spanish Architecture From The Seventeenth And Eighteenth Centuries, Sarah Staeben

Capstone Showcase

Following the Protestant Reformation, Spain was in a unique position compared to the rest of Europe. The importance of Catholicism was intrinsic to Spanish society by this point, as it was under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, aptly dubbed the Catholic Monarchs, that the Christians reconquered the Iberian peninsula in 1492, after an eight century rule by Arab-Muslims. In the centuries that followed, Spanish architecture reached new levels of grandeur in the wake of reformed Catholic doctrine. Following the motto “docere, delectare, movere”(to teach, to delight, to move), architects were urged to convey the Church’s power and garner new supporters. …

Codifying Domesticity: The Story Of The Recommended Minimum Requirements For Small Dwelling Construction Of 1923, The Housing Policy Of The Hoover Secretariat, And The Impact On American Residential Architecture, Noah Morris

Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design Theses & Dissertations

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, fire disasters and health-safety issues led to the widespread adoption of building codes. While the National Board of Fire Underwriters published the National Building Code in 1905, the code did not maintain regulatory consistency across the nation. This lack of consistency across the nation and socio-economic factors contributed to a nation-wide housing shortage of a million units by 1919. During World War I, the government addressed the housing crisis through the United States Housing Corporation and Emergency Fleet Corporation, building public housing based on the ideals of the Garden City Movement.[1] Following the …

Body As Instrument: Crafting A Spatial Representational Language For The Dancer's Body, Avery Boland

Architecture Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project explored the intersection of dance and architecture using choreography, photography, and architectural principles through the development and application of a graphic notation system. Focused on the works of modern dance pioneer Martha Graham and photographer Barbara Morgan, the study tested the representation of the body in space through the use of Graham's choreography as captured by Morgan.

The results of the study demonstrated the effectiveness of the representational language in capturing the spatial dynamics of the human body in Martha Graham's choreography through the notation of “frame” and “plane”. Through a comparative analysis of the selected dances, the …