DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.811#0320
272
THE 'EASTERN PORTICO*
Dis-
covery
of' East-
ern Por-
tico '.
Massive
founda-
tion
blocks
of four
columns.
Lobby itself and to the section of the otherwise dark ' East Corridor' that
it bordered.
The 'Eastern Portico'.
The discovery of this Portico1 was an important result of the supple-
mentary explorations carried out by me in 1929 and was largely due to the
removal of later accretions. Its result was to reduce the somewhat miscon-
ceived arrangement of this section of the building to a harmonious and
beautiful system that greatly added here to its spacious amenities.
The massive back wall of the Portico formed part of that which shuts
in, on their Eastern flank, the group of rooms above described. Though
incorporated above with these M. M. Ill structures, it goes down to a level
connected with M. M. 11 floors, on which the remains of a series of the great
' corded pithoi' came to light, together with fragments of mature polychrome
pottery. Several of its blocks, moreover, show the early 36 sign, deeply
cut. At a point about 5! metres from the Southern entrance, the Portico^
which was clearly defined—was closed by a massive cross-wall, forming the
continuation of an inner line. This older line doubtless supported the end
wall of this enclosed columnar area to the North.2
The back wall was interrupted on the M. M. Ill level by the opening
leading into the adjoining ' Lobby of the Wooden Posts', and the Southern
pier of this entrance showed a cutting for a fine gypsum dado slab found
near it and now replaced. Traces of a similar dado were also observed by the
Southern entrance of the Portico.
The foundations of a stylobate running parallel to the back wall of the
Portico at a distance of about two metres East of it were excavated for over
7 metres. These foundations widened out at intervals into roughly square
piers of large blocks, three of them supporting the base slabs that had
underlain the actual column-bases, which must have answered in diameter—
about 65 centimetres—to that of the colonnades bordering the ' Hall of
the Double Axes'. It was thus possible to fix the position of four equi-
distant column-bases (see Fig. 184) running along the Eastern stylobate of
the Portico, leaving a covered space between them and its back wall, corre-
gives the suggestion of a long magazine on
this side. The elongated space thus inter-
preted is also erroneously placed out of line
with the North-East Entrance of the ' Hall of
the Double Axes ' and is made to extend too
far to the North.
1 To be distinguished from the ' North-
East Portico' on a higher terrace level {P. of
M., i, p. 386, and Fig. 280).
2 In the Plan B referred to an enclosed
space is erroneously indicated as extending
as far as another massive line of cross-wall,
running down East about four metres farther
to the North.
THE 'EASTERN PORTICO*
Dis-
covery
of' East-
ern Por-
tico '.
Massive
founda-
tion
blocks
of four
columns.
Lobby itself and to the section of the otherwise dark ' East Corridor' that
it bordered.
The 'Eastern Portico'.
The discovery of this Portico1 was an important result of the supple-
mentary explorations carried out by me in 1929 and was largely due to the
removal of later accretions. Its result was to reduce the somewhat miscon-
ceived arrangement of this section of the building to a harmonious and
beautiful system that greatly added here to its spacious amenities.
The massive back wall of the Portico formed part of that which shuts
in, on their Eastern flank, the group of rooms above described. Though
incorporated above with these M. M. Ill structures, it goes down to a level
connected with M. M. 11 floors, on which the remains of a series of the great
' corded pithoi' came to light, together with fragments of mature polychrome
pottery. Several of its blocks, moreover, show the early 36 sign, deeply
cut. At a point about 5! metres from the Southern entrance, the Portico^
which was clearly defined—was closed by a massive cross-wall, forming the
continuation of an inner line. This older line doubtless supported the end
wall of this enclosed columnar area to the North.2
The back wall was interrupted on the M. M. Ill level by the opening
leading into the adjoining ' Lobby of the Wooden Posts', and the Southern
pier of this entrance showed a cutting for a fine gypsum dado slab found
near it and now replaced. Traces of a similar dado were also observed by the
Southern entrance of the Portico.
The foundations of a stylobate running parallel to the back wall of the
Portico at a distance of about two metres East of it were excavated for over
7 metres. These foundations widened out at intervals into roughly square
piers of large blocks, three of them supporting the base slabs that had
underlain the actual column-bases, which must have answered in diameter—
about 65 centimetres—to that of the colonnades bordering the ' Hall of
the Double Axes'. It was thus possible to fix the position of four equi-
distant column-bases (see Fig. 184) running along the Eastern stylobate of
the Portico, leaving a covered space between them and its back wall, corre-
gives the suggestion of a long magazine on
this side. The elongated space thus inter-
preted is also erroneously placed out of line
with the North-East Entrance of the ' Hall of
the Double Axes ' and is made to extend too
far to the North.
1 To be distinguished from the ' North-
East Portico' on a higher terrace level {P. of
M., i, p. 386, and Fig. 280).
2 In the Plan B referred to an enclosed
space is erroneously indicated as extending
as far as another massive line of cross-wall,
running down East about four metres farther
to the North.