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.

The study of the semiotics of palaces in the Ancient Near East and Ancient Egypt provides the historian with diverse information as size and type of architecture demonstrate the kind of representation chosen by rulers towards their world. Some features were adopted from temples in order to stage the appearance of the ruler like a divine epiphany. Some further integrate a temple within the palace, showcasing the desire of the ruler to live with a specific deity under one roof for divine support and protection. The importance of this ruler can also be reflected by the size of the throne room and the number of columns, showing as well a hierarchy in the use of space within the whole building complex and its different units. For instance, the presence of a rather intimate throne room or a second small throne room points to space for confidential exchange between the ruler and his visitors. The capacity of storerooms additionally gives us insight into the economic power standing behind the palace. The comparison of different elements between palatial and domestic architecture also proves helpful in identifying the origins of particular components. Exploration of such semiotics was initiated with the publication of the first palace volume in 2018 following a conference held in London 2013. The present volume stands in direct continuation and is the result of a second palace conference that took place at the 10th ICAANE 2016 in Vienna. Besides introducing other palaces in Egypt and Nubia, this volume is dedicated primarily to Near Eastern palaces which are presented and studied by prominent experts in this field.

This volume offers new theoretical approaches to the study of concepts and manifestations of power in the ancient world. Bringing together scholars from Egyptology and ancient Near Eastern studies, this volume aims to synchronize our understanding of the complex mechanics of Power across our fields. Broad in theoretical, geographical, and temporal scope, it presents theoretical models in an approachable manner, showcasing ways in which they can be employed by all scholars of the ancient world.

This book focusses on ground stone tools, stone vessels, and devices carved into rock across the Near East and Egypt from prehistory to the later periods. The aim is to explore all aspects of these tools and stimulate a debate about new methodologies to approach this material.

This volume addresses and problematizes the formation and transformation of the ancient Near Eastern art historical and archaeological canon. The 'canon' is defined as an established list of objects, monuments, buildings, and sites that are considered to be most representative of the ancient Near East. In "testing" this canon, this project takes stock of the current canon, its origins, endurance, and prospects. Boundaries and typologies are examined, technologies of canon production are investigated, and heritage perspectives on contemporary culture offer a key to the future.

Volume 1. From the beginnings to Old Kingdom Egypt and the dynasty of Akkad.

This Handbook is a state-of-the-field volume containing diverse approaches to sensory experience, bringing to life in an innovative, remarkably vivid, and visceral way the lives of past humans through contributions that cover the chronological and geographical expanse of the ancient Near East. It comprises thirty-two chapters written by leading international contributors that look at the ways in which humans, through their senses, experienced their lives and the world around them in the ancient Near East, with coverage of Anatolia, Egypt, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Persia, from the Neolithic through the Roman period. It is organised into six parts related to sensory contexts: Practice, production, and taskscape; Dress and the body; Ritualised practice and ceremonial spaces; Death and burial; Science, medicine, and aesthetics; and Languages and semantic fields. In addition to exploring what makes each sensory context unique, this organisation facilitates cross-cultural and cross-chronological, as well as cross-sensory and multisensory comparisons and discussions of sensory experiences in the ancient world. In so doing, the volume also enables considerations of senses beyond the five-sense model of Western philosophy (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), including proprioception and interoception, and the phenomena of synaesthesia and kinaesthesia. The Routledge Handbook of the Senses in the Ancient Near East provides scholars and students within the field of ancient Near Eastern studies new perspectives on and conceptions of familiar spaces, places, and practices, as well as material culture and texts. It also allows scholars and students from adjacent fields such as Classics and Biblical Studies to engage with this material, and is a must-read for any scholar or student interested in or already engaged with the field of sensory studies in any period.

In Ebla , Paolo Matthiae presents the results of 47 years of excavations at this fascinating site, providing a detailed account of Ebla’s history and archaeology. Ebla grew from a small Early Bronze Age settlement into an important trading and political centre, which endured until its final destruction in c. 1600 BC . The destruction of its royal palace c. 2300 BC was particularly significant as it preserved the city’s rich archives, offering a wealth of information on its history, economy, religion, administration, and daily life. The discovery of Ebla is a pivotal moment in the history of archaeological investigations of the twentieth century, and this book is the result of all the excavation campaigns at Tell Mardikh- Ebla from 1964 until 2010, when field operations stopped due to the war in Syria. Available for the first time in English, Ebla offers a complete account of one of the largest pre-classical urban centres by its discoverer, making it an essential resource for students of Ancient Near Eastern archaeology and history.

Collecting 22 selected papers from the twenty-third Current Research in Egyptology conference, topics include language and literature, archaeology and material culture, society and religion, archival research, intercultural relations, reports on archaeological excavations and methodological issues, regarding all periods of Ancient Egypt.

In this book, Richard Bussmann presents a fresh overview of ancient Egyptian society and culture in the age of the pyramids. He addresses key themes in the comparative research of early complex societies, including urbanism, funerary culture, temple ritual, kingship, and the state, and explores how ideas and practices were exchanged between ruling elites and local communities in provincial Egypt. Unlike other studies of ancient Egypt, this book adopts an anthropological approach that places people at the centre of the analysis. Bussmann covers a range of important themes in cross-cultural debates, such as materiality, gender, non-elite culture, and the body. He also offers new perspectives on social diversity and cultural cohesion, based on recent discoveries. His study vividly illustrates how our understanding of ancient Egyptian society benefits from the application of theoretical concepts in archaeology and anthropology to the interpretation of the evidence.