Architecture as Symbol and Measure of the Sky in the Ancient and Middle Ages - Archaeology & Anthropology

Architectural space is expressed by the union between matter and light, texture and perception, mediated by surfaces, materials, volumes and colors. The relationship between light and space has been known even from the early builders, which in elevating the monoliths have attempted to relate them to the movement of the sun and stars. Architecture was used as a verification tool of these observations, and at the same time for communication and collective celebration of the first major discoveries derived from the observation of nature. Therefore, you can cite numerous examples of architecture built according to specific geometrical relationships associated to astronomical observations. The present study is aimed to put in relation the theoretical studies about the representation of light and shadow, the knowledge and the beliefs in the ancient and Middle time with the material characters of architecture. They are analyzed examples from the ancient and Middle age to find elements like the orientation of ancient buildings according to cosmic symbols or using of the light to mark the time and the calendar.

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