КОНСТРУКТИВНЕ РІШЕННЯ ПОКРІВЛІ У ВІЗАНТІЙСЬКИХ ХРАМАХ СЕРЕДНЬО- ТА ПІЗНЬОВІЗАНТІЙСЬКОГО ПЕРІОДІВ

Abstract

In this article, based on archaeological and hagiographic sources, the features of constructive solutions (techniques of construction and use of building materials) in the temples of the capital and provincial architectural schools of the middle and late Byzantine period were studied. The author focuses on the two main types of roofs of Byzantine temples – tiles and metal plates, the technology of their construction, roof shapes, the use of certain types of building materials and the specifics of using certain types of roofs in different regions of the Byzantine Empire. Each case of application of a certain technique / building material / type of roof is illustrated by the example of archeological finds or preserved mentions in the hagiographic literature. The study found that the most common version of the roof was ceramic tile, due to the cheapness of the material. A popular type for Byzantine roofs was a tile of weakly conical semi-cylindrical, sometimes flattened, shape; trapezoidal tile provided in the design of a wedge-shaped gutter for water drainage on the outside of the tile. It was found that the process of «assembling» the roof took place by connecting the tiles from the top elements (semi-cylindrical shape with a tooth-shaped end), which were driven between the already connected two tiles. During a study of the manufacture of ceramic tiles, it was found that the process was probably similar to the production of plinths (bricks) in the same kilns; instead, the main difference was that at the time of formation, trapezoidal, flat thin frames were used (so that the tile was formed on one side wider and narrower on the other – to overlap each other), and in the drying process these frames with clay were not placed on sand, and on a wooden board. The author also considered other variations of the tile – depending on the building material and shape. Thus, it was found that the material of the tile could not be limited to ceramics: in areas of construction, where there were no resources for the manufacture of ceramic tiles, stone was made and used. The most expensive and strongest variant of a material for a tile – metal – was chosen also because it was easy in processing. Particular emphasis in the study was placed on the use of metal plates for the roof. So the most popular material for this was lead – it melted at low temperatures, easily rolled into sheets (usually rectangular, but there were exceptions). The technique of construction of a roof with lead plates was that when superimposing plates, one overlapped another, for this purpose in places of seams they were bent and rolled. Lead for Byzantine construction was found to have been mined in several regions, including the northern Balkans, Pontus, and Macedonia. It is also noted that the use of lead plates for the roof contributed to the emergence and development of various forms of the roof (for example, the capital’s architectural school preferred a wavy surface).