Střecha nad hlavou – Jelínek Jan (2006)

While most publications on the history of architecture begin with the Egyptian pyramids or Neolithic Mesopotamia, this book addresses the roots of architecture that predate Egypt and Mesopotamia. The first part of the book, titled How to Survive, contains chapters on humans and climate, housing and materials, social relationships, religion and sacred places in and around housing, sanctuaries, altars, ceremonial architecture, and examples of monumental architecture among so-called natural peoples. In the second part, titled A Look into the Past, the author discusses archaeological evidence of the earliest human construction activities from 300,000 years ago, when our ancestors – Homo erectus – lived on our planet, through the first farmers of the late Stone Age, to the architecture of subsequent prehistoric periods, namely the Bronze and Iron Ages, when at least in some areas of the old world, the historical era begins. In the third part, titled The Disappearing World, the author draws from the architecture of the last hunters and some farmers and nomads, particularly those he has encountered from personal experience. The conclusion of the book is dedicated to elements of so-called primitive architecture that still survive in some places today, or are interesting for their invention, material, shape, and other aspects.