Palatial Architecture in Egypt and its Spacial Semiotics: Hyksos and Egyptian Palaces at Avaris/Tell el-Dab'a (FWF P 34601)

The Project

The aim of this project is to publish several palaces excavated by Manfred Bietak (Principal Investigator) in Tell el-Dab'a in the years 1979-2008. Tell el-Dab'a, located in the eastern delta of Egypt, was an important port city and a centre of foreign trade with the Levant as early as the 12^th Dynasty. Of particular interest is the fact that the city was already inhabited by multi-ethnic population groups at the end of the Middle Kingdom, a large proportion of whom came from the Near East. There was therefore a mixture of ideas, concepts, and traditions at the site, which reveal both Egyptian and Near Eastern origins/influence.

After the collapse of the Egyptian state at the end of the Middle Kingdom, kings of Near Eastern descent gained control of the north of the country as the 14^th dynasty. Later in the so-called 2^nd Intermediate Period, the site became the capital of the so-called Hyksos, a dynasty of foreign sovereigns who ruled Egypt as the 15^th dynasty from around 1640 to 1530 BC.

The project involves the investigation, publication, and reconstruction of three large palace complexes from different time periods.

1. A palatial mansion of the early 13^th dynasty (Area F/I) with a ground area of 2500 m². A Syrian ‘Mittelsaalhaus’ with an adjoining cemetery is of interest as a predecessor building. A necropolis was attached to the mansion in its south. According to the grave inventories, the occupants of the mansion were of Near Eastern origin. In terms of building history, an earlier (d/1.2) and a later construction phase (d/1.1) can be identified. In the early phase, the complex consisted of a main building with an entrance wing. The latter could be entered through a columned portico, which led to two symmetrically arranged, three-roomed residential units. A corridor on either side of the residential units led to a square vestibule, through which one entered the main building via a courtyard, which consisted of a reception room with four columns, a bedroom, and storerooms.

In the later phase, the entrance wing was completely redesigned. The vestibule and parts of the storerooms were demolished and replaced by a rectangular courtyard. On the south side of the courtyard, a portico was erected in front of the main building, which was then extended to form a portico on all sides. A square vestibule with two columns closed off the courtyard to the east.

At a later date, the erection of building next to the older one was started, but never completed. Also, the renovation of the older building came to an abrupt halt and the mansion was abandoned (researcher: Mario Martin).

2. In Area F/II a palace from the 15^th Dynasty was partly excavated, which was built above a burnt-down predecessor from the 14^th Dynasty, to which it partly refers architecturally. The building was constructed in an agglutinating process. The complex, measuring approx. 112 x 95 m (10,600 m²), was built of mud bricks, some of which were reinforced with reed mats. Two construction phases (c/2 and c/1) can be identified, during which the palace was altered and partly rebuilt. In the earlier phase c/2, the palace extended over a larger area, with the magazine wing G and A with the throne room in front of A in use. Next to the throne room was the entrance gate leading into courtyard C, which was flanked by further rooms, at least to the north-east. Building S to the south of the palace was also in use at this time. Courtyard B with its stair tower extending to the south-west was built in phase c/1, as was the storage wing E in the north-east. Stair tower 1, located next to wing A, was probably also built at this time.

It is a Near Eastern type of palace with elements that have parallels in the region of the Middle Euphrates and Mesopotamia. Seal impressions of the Hyksos Khayan were found in the palace, but the palace appears to have existed both before and after this king. Sacrificial pits with relics of ritual meals, mainly pottery and animal bones, were found in one of the courtyards. A fragment of a cuneiform tablet came to light in a well dating to the later phase of the palace. This indicates that the Hyksos maintained extensive relations with Mesopotamia (researcher: Silvia Prell).

3. The largest palace complex is located in 'Ezbet Helmi, with an area of 5.5 ha. It dates back to the Tuthmosid period and was probably built under Tuthmosis III (ca. 1479-1425 BC). It consists of three palaces (area H/I-H/VI), whose architecture is heavily disturbed, which makes their reconstruction quite challenging. Two palaces were decorated with Minoan wall paintings depicting labyrinth patterns as well as scenes with lions, leopards, griffins and taureador- and hunting scenes. In addition to a large harbour basin, the palace district is a strong argument that the famous naval station of Tuthmosis III and Amenophis II 'Perunefer' - 'Happy Exit' - was once located at Tell el-Dab'a (researchers: Julian Posch, Szymon Popławski).

Please contact the copyright holder

manfred.bietak@univie.ac.at

for further questions.