On Simple House Architecture at Tell el-Dabca and its Parallels in the Late Middle Kingdom

Abstract

Numerous examples of simple house ground plans of the late Middle Kingdom are discussed in this article and the line of development is traced as far as possible. This type of domestic architecture consists exclusively of mud brick. Measurements as well as proportions are given as possible means for dating such dwellings. The point of departure is the late Middle Kingdom settlement in Area A/II at Tell el-Dabca, where a number of one and two room houses were excavated. While some of these houses are free standing, it is possible to find bipartite core-units, with one wide and one narrow room, embedded in other architectural assemblages in Egypt. These are known from at least the early Middle Kingdom onwards with a possible earlier tradition. At Tell el-Dabca itself, the bi-partite ground plan exists from the Middle Kingdom to the New Kingdom. House models and other comparanda were also used to learn more about the distribution of this very simple architectural type used by non-elite individuals. In an overall cultural comparison various other socio-economic topics such as subsistence strategies, placement and capacity of storage facilities and various influences on the assemblage found in Area A/II of the late Middle Kingdom are also discussed.