DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11365#0018
8
the palace.
the thick wall was built, leaving only a narrow passage
at the corner of that.
Beyond this the stone foundations seem to be with-
out any regularity, and we cannot guess at the design
of the building. All we can glean is that a great
entrance way ran along the line marked " alabaster
pavement," as several massive blocks of alabaster were
found in this trench, each with figures of bound cap-
tives, like those on the passage way of the painted
pavement. Also near this, on the north, were large
bases and portions of capitals, and an abundance of
the stone hieroglyphs from inlayed inscriptions,
shewing this to have been a highly-ornamented part
of the palace.
Coming more to the east, remains of two alabaster
steles were found, lying on two slightly-raised bases
of small blocks and cement. The gap in the cement
bed between these, being all clean sand, seems as if it
was an entrance, with a stele on each side. But the
purpose of the cement bed is yet unexplained. These
steles are all of one type, shewn in PL. XII, 2. They
are found in all materials. A hard white limestone
one in the great temple enclosure is inscribed on both
sides (now placed in the pavement house) ; pieces of
red quartzite, black granite, and red granite steles are
found in the temple and elsewhere, and alabaster steles
in the palace. It seems as if every important place
were signalized by a dedicatory stele to the Aten.
All the steles are alike in design ; the ends are not
wrought, but the top has a curved surface between the
rectangular edges, with large cartouches on it, and the
line of the top is always sloping slightly down to one
end. The object of this peculiar form is unknown.
Returning to the south-east, we see a small cement
platform which must be for an isolated building.
North of it is a small brick building ; north of that a
mass of brickwork, with a cement bed adjoining it, at
the east edge of which, and in the trench of foundations,
were found the fragments of the vine columns (Pl.
VIII). The middle of the length of the palace is
marked by a great pylon or gateway, of un-Egyptian
form, across the main road ; it had two footways, and
a wider chariot-way, between them, like a Roman
triumphal arch. The side walls run deep back into
the structure of the palace, and that of the large house
on the other side of the road ; and the depth of these
suggests that they were needed for arch abutments,
and that the ways were arched across.
North of this are varied small buildings. One con-
tains painted pavements in almost every room (marked
P on the plan) ; and in the chambers east of this
some pieces of stone column were found. The reeds
of these were not grouped, but were similar all round,
and treated angularly (see Pl. VII, i).
14. The only part of the palace which shews a
regular plan is the building against the outer wall, on
the north east (see Pl. XXXVI). Though part of it
is wholly washed away by denudation, we can trace
a symmetrical design in the remains. From the
retired position of this, in the innermost part of the
palace enclosure, from the fine ornamentation of the
floors covered with painting, from the elaborate stone-
work, the gorgeous glazed-ware decoration, the number
of sleeping cubicles, and the queen's name and titles
fully set out on the well-coping, it seems most likely
that this was the queen's pavilion, or harem.
The entrance seems to have been at the southern
end of the pile, as there were no considerable chambers
north of the cubicles. Of the first hall, marked
" Painted pavement," only the north and east sides
remained, and a part of the painted floor along those
sides. This led to a wide cross-chamber, 21 feet
4 inches long, and 51 feet 3 inches across, the painted
floor of which is almost perfect (Pl. II). Thence
the door led into the open Court; and the central
object in that was the well, covered with a canopy
supported on finely-sculptured pillars. This well
must have been the main point to the eye, in
looking along the axis of the building through the
open doorways. Of this Court one base of a column
remained, shewing that it had a colonnade around it.
The wall at the sides was probably open above to
light the side passages, like the dwarf walls and pillars
of Thothmes III at Medinet Habu. The passage
roofs were supported by a row of stone columns down
the middle, the fragments of which lead to the
restoration given in Pl. VII. The cubicles opening
off the passage are remarkable. They are 6x8 feet
in plan. Within the doorway is a thin wall 13
inches from the doorway, and 8 inches thick.
And in the two back corners of the chambers are
blocks of brickwork, 21 inches wide and 24 inches
deep back. The purpose of these seems to be for
supporting a sleeping bench along the back of the
chamber, 2 feet wide and 6 feet long ; while at the
sides ran other benches, 15 inches wide and 5 feet long,
on which to sit or to place personal articles. These
side benches being supported on dwarf walls, clear of
the door wall, left space for a curtain to hang down
over the doorway to screen the room. The original
height of these benches, the supports of which are
mostly ruined, is shewn by the plastering above the
the palace.
the thick wall was built, leaving only a narrow passage
at the corner of that.
Beyond this the stone foundations seem to be with-
out any regularity, and we cannot guess at the design
of the building. All we can glean is that a great
entrance way ran along the line marked " alabaster
pavement," as several massive blocks of alabaster were
found in this trench, each with figures of bound cap-
tives, like those on the passage way of the painted
pavement. Also near this, on the north, were large
bases and portions of capitals, and an abundance of
the stone hieroglyphs from inlayed inscriptions,
shewing this to have been a highly-ornamented part
of the palace.
Coming more to the east, remains of two alabaster
steles were found, lying on two slightly-raised bases
of small blocks and cement. The gap in the cement
bed between these, being all clean sand, seems as if it
was an entrance, with a stele on each side. But the
purpose of the cement bed is yet unexplained. These
steles are all of one type, shewn in PL. XII, 2. They
are found in all materials. A hard white limestone
one in the great temple enclosure is inscribed on both
sides (now placed in the pavement house) ; pieces of
red quartzite, black granite, and red granite steles are
found in the temple and elsewhere, and alabaster steles
in the palace. It seems as if every important place
were signalized by a dedicatory stele to the Aten.
All the steles are alike in design ; the ends are not
wrought, but the top has a curved surface between the
rectangular edges, with large cartouches on it, and the
line of the top is always sloping slightly down to one
end. The object of this peculiar form is unknown.
Returning to the south-east, we see a small cement
platform which must be for an isolated building.
North of it is a small brick building ; north of that a
mass of brickwork, with a cement bed adjoining it, at
the east edge of which, and in the trench of foundations,
were found the fragments of the vine columns (Pl.
VIII). The middle of the length of the palace is
marked by a great pylon or gateway, of un-Egyptian
form, across the main road ; it had two footways, and
a wider chariot-way, between them, like a Roman
triumphal arch. The side walls run deep back into
the structure of the palace, and that of the large house
on the other side of the road ; and the depth of these
suggests that they were needed for arch abutments,
and that the ways were arched across.
North of this are varied small buildings. One con-
tains painted pavements in almost every room (marked
P on the plan) ; and in the chambers east of this
some pieces of stone column were found. The reeds
of these were not grouped, but were similar all round,
and treated angularly (see Pl. VII, i).
14. The only part of the palace which shews a
regular plan is the building against the outer wall, on
the north east (see Pl. XXXVI). Though part of it
is wholly washed away by denudation, we can trace
a symmetrical design in the remains. From the
retired position of this, in the innermost part of the
palace enclosure, from the fine ornamentation of the
floors covered with painting, from the elaborate stone-
work, the gorgeous glazed-ware decoration, the number
of sleeping cubicles, and the queen's name and titles
fully set out on the well-coping, it seems most likely
that this was the queen's pavilion, or harem.
The entrance seems to have been at the southern
end of the pile, as there were no considerable chambers
north of the cubicles. Of the first hall, marked
" Painted pavement," only the north and east sides
remained, and a part of the painted floor along those
sides. This led to a wide cross-chamber, 21 feet
4 inches long, and 51 feet 3 inches across, the painted
floor of which is almost perfect (Pl. II). Thence
the door led into the open Court; and the central
object in that was the well, covered with a canopy
supported on finely-sculptured pillars. This well
must have been the main point to the eye, in
looking along the axis of the building through the
open doorways. Of this Court one base of a column
remained, shewing that it had a colonnade around it.
The wall at the sides was probably open above to
light the side passages, like the dwarf walls and pillars
of Thothmes III at Medinet Habu. The passage
roofs were supported by a row of stone columns down
the middle, the fragments of which lead to the
restoration given in Pl. VII. The cubicles opening
off the passage are remarkable. They are 6x8 feet
in plan. Within the doorway is a thin wall 13
inches from the doorway, and 8 inches thick.
And in the two back corners of the chambers are
blocks of brickwork, 21 inches wide and 24 inches
deep back. The purpose of these seems to be for
supporting a sleeping bench along the back of the
chamber, 2 feet wide and 6 feet long ; while at the
sides ran other benches, 15 inches wide and 5 feet long,
on which to sit or to place personal articles. These
side benches being supported on dwarf walls, clear of
the door wall, left space for a curtain to hang down
over the doorway to screen the room. The original
height of these benches, the supports of which are
mostly ruined, is shewn by the plastering above the