The Arch

~3,000 B.C.

One of the most important developments in the history of architecture was the discovery of the arch. The amount of open space inside a building is limited by the ability of the walls to support the roof or ceiling, but an arch supports materials above it and distributes pressure to the pillars or base that holds it up. Thus, an arch can open up inside space, support a window or a door, or provide the structural support for a bridge. The simplest form of arch is two blocks that lean against each other to form and upside-down "v" shape, or branches that are bent towards each other and tied together in the middle. There are also "false arches" (common in prehistoric architecture) in which blocks are laid horizontally to each other, with each block slightly overhanging the one below it. True arches were first developed in Egypt in about the third millennium B.C. and were constructed from mud-bricks. Later innovation lead to the "voussoir arch," a stone arch with a "keystone" at the top and center, which holds the arch together.

Our Thoughts?
The mind, like a great piece of architecture, needs a strong foundation.