Since Henri Frankfort first suggested that ancient Egyptian monumental mud-brick construction, in particular the elaborate niched facades seen on tombs and palaces of the Archaic Period, had its roots in contemporary Mesopotamian architecture more than seventy years ago, a debate has persisted as to the veracity of the theory. Most recently it has been posited that the existence of the serekh, a representation of what is thought to be the façade of a royal palace that housed the king’s name earlier, in the Predynastic Period, is evidence for a pre-existing building tradition. However, an examination of the evidence does not support this, and an alternative explanation can be found in other types of construction.
niched brick; Archaic Period; Mesopotamian interconnections; mud-brick architecture; palace façade
(icon) = Open Access (icon) = Subscription Access
Download Full Text(Pages 37-44)