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From Pre-History to Post-Modernity, architectural styles have always been a fascinating window into the past for anyone interested in the nature and origins of human culture. They reflect the essence of a time and place, preserved in stone or etched in marble, like no other kind of artifact. This article is but a glimpse, a small taste of that vast history of architectural styles. Consider it a beginner's guide, an overview, something to pique your interest and arouse your curiosity by chronologically tracing human progress as evidenced in works of architecture. One could spend a lifetime studying even one of these periods or styles!

PRE-HISTORIC architectural structures that remain partially intact today were typically religious in nature, because religious architecture was made of more permanent materials (like brick and stone). Such structures vary dramatically in terms of style and appearance, but reveal much about the building technologies (and, where there are engravings or paintings) the cultural histories of peoples. These are our strongest link to the distant past, and demonstrate at once how far we have come as a species and how much we still rely on beliefs and stories to sustain us.

CLASSICAL architecture falls into two primary sub-categories: Greek and Roman architecture. The Greeks were perhaps most well known for the subtle and highly calculated visual effects or illusions produced by their incredibly crafted buildings. They would use devices like a subtle taper (narrowing) of a column to change the apparent size, depth or proportion of a structure. Rigid geometries defined their temples and ornaments applied to them. Roman architecture tended to focus less on religious structures and more on public or civic ones. In terms of style, the Romans borrowed much from the Greeks but were considerably less interested in subtly - preferring grandeur and opulence instead. Their buildings became monuments to their pride and power moreso than examples of their cunning and creativity.

MEDIEVAL architecture is perhaps most well known for the production of incredible Gothic churches. Religious architecture was again at the forefront of society, and in a culture where very few people could read the stories depicted through sculptures and engravings were critical for telling Biblical stories to believers. Medieval churches emphasized heaven by accentuating the thinness of structural elements and using visual devices to focus one's eye up toward the heavens. Medieval

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