Ancient people decorated their buildings heavily -- especially buildings with religious significance.

Strict formulas and patterns governed many facets of ancient edifices, like the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian Orders of Greek temple architecture.  One temple at Karnak, Egypt was built to parallel the flow of the Nile; construction took so long (more than 2000 years) that the Nile changed course and, as a result, the sprawling temple complex curves as it follows the river. Norse religious structures were made of heavily carved wood and had steep roofs to shed heavy snows.