For today's post, I will be exploring the commonalities and differences between the two archeological sites of Pikillacta and Timgad. The Wari
military center of Pikillacta is located in the Lucre
Basin of Peru, while the Roman colonial center of Timgad is located on the northern slopes of the Aures Mountains in Algeria.
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| Pikillacta, Peru http://www.panoramio.com/photo/31008544 |
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| Timgad, Algeria http://www.panoramio.com/photo/11951859 |
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| Timgad, Algeria http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2419974 |
Timgad is an example of a classic Roman Colony. In contrast to common Roman architecture which features a highly organic layout, Its grid plan layout is widely seen Roman colonial structures. Consisting of 144 smaller sections, the grid of Timgad can be divided into 4 equal sized larger sections. The architects went to obvious lengths to make the structured city apply to the terrain. The landscape is manipulated to facilitate the grid layout of Timgad. The rigidly planned layout had many functions including the control of traffic flow through the region, it served precise mathematical purposes of organization, and it mirrored the orderly themes of the military since it was presumably a military town. At the centre of this grid planned town would be the living quarters of the powerful administrators. People of lower social and hierarchical status would live farthest from the centre, while important political and military figures would live closer.
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| Pikillacta, Peru http://www.panoramio.com/photo/33402773 |
Pikillacta is presumed to have functioned as a Wari military outpost. Like Timgad, Pikillacta was organized in a grid plan with a similar idea of hierarchies of space. Despite many hills, the architects made an effort to create an organized, grid planned structure. The one entry on the south east side of Pikillacta has been thought to be a tool to assert power since you are forced to enter through this entry if you want access to the military centre. The thought is that a Wari native would know how to navigate this complex structure while a foreigner would not. Another distinctive architectural feature of Pikillacta is the massive walls. Up to 13' thick and 30' high, the walls were probably used as fortification and defence against enemies.
The obvious similarities between the two architectural ruins are striking as they are from different time periods and places. Both Timgad and Pikillacta are based on a grid plan of architectural organization. They were both presumably used for military purposes, suggesting the idea of the universal need in military and colonial culture to create a very structured place. In both cases, the structures have been pre-planned and the landscape is altered to fit the structure. Despite hills and other obstacles, the structures manage to form a strict grid pattern. They echo the Roman concept that nature is secondary to logic. Furthermore, in Pikillacta and Timgad, the structures force inhabitants to live in a close and organized community with other people of their culture.
