The Origin of the Monument
The Monument can be traced back 5000 years to the region of southern Mesopotamia known as Sumner. It was a coming together of three developments: technology, space, and language.
Technology:
The technology of the chariot became the main force of military dominance. With it conquerors could quickly travel to subdue foreign lands.
Space:
The architectural monument, such as the obelisk, became the central focus of towns. The monument created space around it as marking off the territory of the conqueror.
Language:
The cuneiform script, the first written language, was invented by the Sumerians. They used it to mark monuments, called dragon’s tooth, to show space was owned by the conqueror.
Once subjugated, a dragon’s tooth or obelisk was erected in the town center showing the region was controlled by the Sumerian ruler. Kings would take engineers with them on conquest campaigns to create these monuments. Writing created by scribes would declare the ruler of the town or city.
These three systems of control; technology, spatial form, and language, would transform primitive settlements into full-scale cities. These three forces shape cites to this day.
Today the monument functions the same as in ancient Sumner. The new conqueror is capitalism the and the skyscraper has replaced the obelisk. Written language of cuneiform has evolved into laws and social contracts. The chariot has been replaced with the tank, the fighter plane, and the nuclear bomb.
Today architects and engineers design new monuments, but their function in society has remained the same for 5,000 years. To represent institutionalized power of the state.
The architect has always been under the spell of power. His buildings are supposed to render pride visible, and the victory over gravity, the will to power. Architecture is a kind of eloquence of power in forms — now persuading, even flattering, now commanding.
- Nietzsche
This is why Europe raided Egypt stealing their Obelisks and erecting them around European cities. This showed Europe’s newfound power as a colonizer of the world.
The monument is symbolic of state power, military dominance, and the control of space. Architecture’s role in the history of mankind has always been to manifest in space the power of the state.
Architects should never forget this fact when they think they are helping humanity by creating amazing buildings. Monuments have always been created by the powerful to show their dominance over their subjects.
