Mega-structures of the Middle Ages: the construction of religious buildings in Europe and Asia, c.1000–1500*

Maarten Prak

Journal of Global History, 2011, vol. 6, issue 3, 381-406

Abstract: How did medieval builders manage to construct some of the tallest structures in the world without access to modern engineering theories? Construction drawings were limited to details and, with only a handful exceptions, manuals for builders only appeared in the late fifteenth century. By implication, the relevant knowledge had to be transferred on a personal basis. Its underlying principles must therefore have been reasonably simple. This article shows how a modular design, combined with on-site experimentation, guided much of the construction work on large projects such as European cathedrals, Middle Eastern mosques, Indian temples, and Chinese pagoda towers.

Date: 2011
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