Arslan Tash Palace: a reconsideration of the architecture, phases, chronology and use1

Abstract

This study reconsiders the plan of Arslan Tash Palace as presented through the excavations carried out by F. Thureau-Dangin in the early part of the 20th century. The north-eastern part of the Palace is shown to be the royal residence, with a reconstruction attempted by studying the walls and blocks used. A comparative study between the Arslan Tash Palace and Nimrud Palace in Iraq, which is a typical primary palace and the most similar to Arslan Tash’s plan, is undertaken. Arslan Tash is then compared with other Assyrian palaces in western Assyria (Syria). Using the visible architecture, archaeological levels and building materials, this study attempts to reconstruct the various phases the palace went through. The results show that two phases were mixed within the main gate and the southern part, affecting the general layout of the palace. The phases in this area were defined using the differing levels of older buildings, beginning with the structures in the Bâtiment aux Ivoires, the north, the north-east and the south of the Assyrian Palace. Finally, the latest phase that included the Arslan Tash Palace was identified and analyzed. As the archaeological excavations were not completed in some parts of the palace, there are, inevitably, some gaps in relation to the plan, architecture, chronology and stratigraphy.