This collection of studies on palaces in Ancient Egypt is the result of
a conference organised by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the
University of Wurzburg and the Egypt Exploration Society from 12th to
14th of June 2013 in London. The result is a compilation of
information - archaeological and textual - one can resort to in order to
develop strategies to understand architectural and functional variations
and recognise schemes of building canons for palaces in Ancient Egypt.
In addition, the understanding of Ancient Egyptian palaces is amplified
with specialised studies regarding architectural and administrative
terminology. The combined evidence shows that there was indeed a
variability in function, in architecture and in the physical situation
of palaces in Ancient Egypt. Besides a common space program such as the
succession of courtyard, portico, vestibule, throne room and the
intimate part of the palace, one may observe a variability of the number
of aisles or of columns present as well as in the thickness of walls.
This fact points to hierarchical rules concerning the importance of the
building. As the architecture is often preserved only in its
foundations, it is important to learn what kind of walls were
load-bearing, what the size of division walls is and which kind of walls
once carried columns. All these first observations have to undergo an
evaluation process before one can think of discovering a building canon.
A general introducing section is followed by contributions covering
Ancient Egyptian palaces from Predynastic times until the New Kingdom.
More contributions on the subject will follow in the second volume,
which will deal mainly with Ancient Near Eastern Palaces as outcome of a
palace workshop at the 10th ICAANE, held in 2016 in Vienna. Together,
these two volumes will contribute to a better understanding of the
architectural canon and diversity of palaces in Ancient Egypt and the
difference in concept to their Ancient Oriental counterparts. ce from
SAV1 North underlines the important role Sai plays in understanding
settlement patterns in New Kingdom Nubia.
