Before we begin to discuss the various types of buildings it would be
advisable to say a word about the building methods and materials . Tell
el-Amarna is a city of mud brick . Only in very exceptional circumstances was
stone used .
The brick is merely sun-dried, and owing to the fact that
quantities of small stones were allowed to remain in the mud the disintegration
of the latter in the course of time has caused the extraordinarily pebbly
appearance of the unexcavated parts of the site . The bricks are large ; 33-37
centimetres long by 15-16 broad by 9-10 high are the measurements of the usual
brick, although those used in the walls of the small temple of Hat-Aten were as
much as 38 by 16 by 16 . These bricks are used for everything, paving included
. The Chief of Police alone had specially made flooring slabs which measured 30
by 30 by 5 centimetres .
In a country where rain is exceedingly rare mud brick will last for
ever, the only destructive influence being the action of wind-swept sand . To
avoid this the face of the wall was plastered with mud which could be renewed .
The bricks were laid with a small amount of mortar between each course and none
between the bricks of the same course, whose only coherence is the mud
plastering which has happened to force its way into the interstices from the
surface wash . No regular system of bonding was in force though a straight
joint for more than two courses was avoided . Even corners are frequently left
unbonded and later walls were built directly up against ones already there .
Now there is one danger with mud brick, and that is its habit of drying
unevenly, shrinking, and so causing the wall to warp . To obviate this the
builder often resorted to a system of hollow walls . He would build a wall of a
thickness of two bricks, for example . The lowest course would be two rows of
headers . The next course would be stretchers, but instead of there being four
rows, he would lay only three rows, leaving free space for the air to circulate
. This space would be bridged over in the next course and so on . But this
meant the risk of weakening the walls and was always avoided where a wall had
to carry any great weight or go up to any great height . In the case of pylon
towers or very big walls, therefore, balks of timber were substituted which not
only served to tie the bricks but also had a certain amount of elasticity which
minimized the dangers of warping . A similar practice, though for a different
reason, is found in Minoan Crete, where a noticeable feature of the buildings
is the amount of timbering . Here the reason was the desire to minimize the
effects of the earthquakes to which Crete in particularly liable . Wood,
however, was nearly as expensive in Egypt as stone, and it is only in the great
official buildings that we find it incorporated in the walls . But it was
cheaper and easier to transport and to work . It is, again, only in public
buildings, therefore, that stone columns are employed . The private individual,
and indeed the King in his private residence, was content to have wooden
columns resting on a stone base . These bases have usually rather more than
twice the diameter of the columns which they support . This is clear from the
careful marking out and centering of the base . They must have acted as extra
seats in houses where furniture was scanty, but they must equally have been a
frequent source of annoyance and falls . One good householder indeed evidently
got so infuriated at continually tripping up and stubbing his toe that he
raised the level of his floor until the top of the column base was flush with
it .
The preliminary
setting out of everything was done with a string . When, for example, they wished
to mark out the position of the offering tables on the plaster floor of the
temple, a string dipped in black paint was stretched taut and then allowed to
touch the plaster and leave its mark . In some cases the string was gently
pressed down into the plaster before it had quite set, leaving a shallow groove
. In the same way any wall surface that was to be decorated was first of all
squared up before the artist began his work . Sometimes these marks have been
left, as in those tombs which are unfinished . Even in this age of artistic
revolt the Egyptian was unconsciously bound by the tradition of centuries . His
columns conform to the old palm-frond or to the papyrus type which had been in
vogue since the Old Kingdom . The cavetto of his cornices was still painted
with upright leaves and the torus roll was still painted or carved with the
cords which thousands of years before had tied the roll of plaited reeds,
itself strengthening the heads of the palm-fronds which projected up and,
nodding forward with their own weight, became the origin of the cavetto .
Such novelties as we
see in the architecture of Amarna are in plan, not in methods of building, and
even in considering the plans we must remember how very little we know of
Egyptian domestic architecture in other parts of the country . We must also
remember the frantic haste with which everything was done . Akhenaten was a
forerunner of the modern Oriental in his desire to see a thing finished quickly
and the verdict, I fear, on much of the building and decoration must be "
cheap and nasty " .
In considering the
spacious lay-out of the buildings and the absence of regular upper stories we
must remember that Akhenaten had a virgin site on which to build . Tell
el-Amarna is thus in contrast to Thebes, where we know there were two-storied
buildings, and in great contrast to the almost contemporary cities of Minoan
Crete where four and five stories are the rule . In the two latter cases, all
possible available space had to be used, particularly in Crete, where the only
sites on which buildings can be constructed are frequently the only sites
suitable for cultivation . Under such conditions houses and palaces had to run
to height rather than to acreage . But at Amarna the cultivable area was
negligible and therefore all the essential rooms of the house were concentrated
on the ground-floor, leaving a flat roof, which no doubt played as large a part
in the life of ancient Egypt as it does to-day, with a light loggia at one side
for really burning days .
The Great Temple of the Sun's Disk lies in the middle of the site on the
main thoroughfare . This " House of the Aten my father which I will build
in Akhetaten in this place " was to be the crowning achievement of the
whole venture . It was to be the centre of the worship of the new god all over
the world . To this Temple the eyes of the Nubian and of the Asiatic were to
turn for inspiration for their local sun temples at Jerusalem . It lies in a
huge temenos or enclosure nearly half a mile long by over
three hundred yards broad, a space which it may have been Akhenaten's intention
to fill completely with buildings .
Before, however, even the boundary wall was built some dedication
ceremony must have taken place . The foundations of a ceremonial gateway, later
razed to the ground, were discovered just within the main entrance . In front
of this were a number of plaster receptacles, sunk on the main axis, for liquid
offerings, while a mud paving was laid all over the area . From here an avenue
of sphinxes led eastwards, to be replaced by trees after some hundred yards .
The pits in which these trees were planted have been found – some with the
roots still in them – actually underlying the walls of the Sanctuary, while an
inner avenue underlies the actual floor . The point to which this approach led
was a small shrine of mud brick hurriedly run up for the occasion but later
incorporated in the final scheme .
Next came the construction of the temenos wall, the main entrance of
which did not for some reason coincide with the old gateway but rather clumsily
enclosed it, so that to enter the enclosure you walked up a ramp between the
pylon towers and immediately descended to pass under the temporary ceremonial
entrance which was still apparently allowed to stand . When the wall had been
completed, or probably while work on it was still in progress, the Sanctuary
was built at the East end of the enclosure . Finally, after some years the King
decided to renew his building activities and the buildings known as Per-hai, "
The House of Rejoicing ", and Gem-Aten, " The Finding of the Aten
", were set in hand quite close to the main entrance . This made things
very awkward, for the old plaster receptacles were on the main axis and
prevented an easy approach, for the West wall of Per-hai actually cuts through
one of them . A new plan was therefore resorted to . The ceremonial gate was
pulled down and the space between the main entrance and the entrance to Per-hai
was filled in up to the height of the ramp from without, thus forming a raised
causeway . This causeway is only about three feet above the old level and it is
gradually sloped down on either side so as to be practically unnoticeable .
Fresh plaster receptacles were sunk at this higher level but were carefully put
on either side of the main axis so as not to interfere with the approach .
This was the final state of the Temple both in the representations of it
in the tombs and in the actual remains found on the spot . We have to rely very
largely for our restored plan on these tomb reliefs . Certainly little enough
of the original is left . Apart from the temenos wall and one or two minor
structures the walls were of rubble faced with stone, and the causeways and
platforms, to which we shall return, were composed merely of sand rammed down
within a stone facing and paved over .
When the fall of Atenism came the Temple was taken as a symbol of all
that Egypt hated and the destruction of it was complete . Practically not a
single block of stone remains in
situ . The columns and statues were smashed to pieces and the fragments
thrown down into the empty trenches where the walls had been . All that remains
is the cement floor, the compressed sand filling of causeways and platform and
the cement bedding in which the foundations were laid with the marks of stone
still upon it . And even the last has often been ripped up together with the
stones, so that we have to go by the varying levels of the virgin sand which
show the depth to which the foundations were sunk . We are indeed lucky to have
so much to guide us, for it is largely the destroyers themselves who have
preserved it . We have seen how their hatred went so far as to fill in the
whole area with clean sand and to run a thick layer of cement over the top to
seal in the accursed spot . To this is due the fact that the platforms and
causeway, now consisting merely of ridges of sand paved over, have been
supported to their original height and have suffered no weathering . Thus it
comes about that just enough is left to enable us to reconstruct a plan and
even an elevation which corresponds in very detail with the scenes in the tombs
.
Now we will proceed as if we were of the Royal Party entering the Temple
to worship . The party has dismounted from the chariots, to which the grooms
are attending . They enter between the tall pylon towers . On their left is a
columned pavilion, its massive concrete foundations sunk to a depth of over
three feet, since all this approach is " made earth " . They pass on
to the entrance to Per-hai, the House of Rejoicing . Here again are tall pylon
towers of mud brick faced with stone and fronted each by five tall flagstaffs
with fluttering pennons . The doorway has no lintel, for that would block the
passage of the sun . Per-hai consists of two colonnades flanking the central
passage, which is open to the sky . There are two rows of four columns on each
side whose position has been determined by the marks left on the vast platforms
of concrete on which they are set . Each colonnade has an altar of fine
limestone at the East end, carved with the usual representation of the King and
Queen making offerings . Behind the altars a short flight of steps descends
into chambers in the thickness of the pylon towers which flank the entrance
into the next division of the Temple, Gem-Aten – the Finding of the Aten . Here
we enter something quite new in the way of temple architecture .
The ordinary Egyptian
Temple shows a transition from the bright sunlight of the open court, through
the twilight of the colonnade and hypostyle hall to the pitch-black of the
Sanctuary, the air of mystery and awe being deepened by the oppressive sense of
being gradually shut in as the level of the floor rises and the roof gets lower
.
The Temple at Amarna was a true sanctuary of the sun with airy courts
open to the sky succeeding one another as far as the High Altar . As you pass
between the pylon towers of the entrance you come out on to a landing and look
down into an open court surrounded by platforms some five feet high . On the
platforms are little booths probably made of wood where perhaps you can buy the
offerings you wish to make . A flight of steps descends from the entrance down
into the court where lies the first great altar with its steps and balustrade .
Here are heaped the fruits of the earth and the meat of many cattle, for the
Aten, like Pharaoh, seems a good trencherman ! . Behind the altar a short
flight of steps leads you up to a causeway which runs down the centre of the
whole building on a level with the platforms which surround each court . On
either side of the causeway, completely filling the courts, are square offering
tables of stone ( that this is the purpose of these blocks is evident from the
tomb pictures ) while outside the building in the temenos on either side are forty rows of twenty
offering tables each, made of mud brick . Perhaps these were for the commoners
who had not an entrée into the Temple or
possibly for each town in the Empire . In any case an attempt was made to give
everyone a personal interest in the worship . It was indeed a striving after a
universal god .
As court succeeds court, each separated by elaborate gateways and pylon
towers, the plaster floors rise in a series of low steps to conform with the
lie of the ground . The platforms and causeway thus get correspondingly lower
and lower until they come to the court of the High Altar . Just before this,
funds seem to have run rather low and we find whitewashed brick taking the
place of the stone facing .
The break between the system of platforms and causeway and the altar
court is emphasized by an irregular colonnade . Passing through this you arrive
at the High Altar, set amongst offering tables in the midst of a court which is
itself surrounded by a series of chambers, open to the sky, each one containing
one or more offering tables or altars .
This part of the Temple ends abruptly with a blank wall and there is no
trace either in the existing remains or in the representations of it of any
door leading East . Probably therefore this part of the Temple was used for
specific occasions when the Sanctuary was not needed . For if the Royal
progress was to include the Sanctuary it would mean an entirely unnecessary
return to the entrance of Per-hai .
The final Sanctuary lies some 350 yards to the East . In the pictures it
is shown as being practically next door, but that is for reasons of space .
Between it and the
part already described lie four oblong troughs, probably plaster receptacles of
the type already mentioned . These, however, can never be found since the
modern cemetery of El-Till spreads out at this point and covers much of the
ground . A certain amount indeed of Gem-Aten is occupied by this cemetery ;
stray graves have had to be walled in and a large stretch of the North side
left unexcavated .But thanks to the courtesy of the inhabitants we have been
allowed to approach as near the limit as may be .
The Sanctuary itself shows the essential features of a temple of the
Aten in its simplest form – so simple apparently that it was soon considered
old-fashioned, and although it is always represented in the tomb pictures, yet
we never see it in actual use as the scene of any ceremony performed by the
King . It occupies a large area some hundred yards long . First come the usual
series of pylon towers, leading to an open court, at the South end of which lie
three small houses, obviously those of the priests on duty . A second pylon
leads to the Sanctuary proper . In this again we begin with a causeway, stepping
down on each side into a court well stocked with offering tables and having
rooms to North and South . To the East the causeway passes between two large
colonnades . Between the columns of these stand colossal statues of Akhenaten,
two on each side, wearing the Crown of the North and the Crown of the South .
These colonnades back up against pylon towers . At this point the causeway
steps down to the level of the altar court to which the worshipper is led round
by two turns, since screen walls are built out to block the view of the Holy of
Holies . This last court resembles in every way the Eastern court of Gem-Aten
with the herd of offering tables surrounding the high altar and the series of
chambers open to the sky surrounding the whole court . At the back of the
Sanctuary, but approached only from outside, are a series of rooms and passages
apparently constructed for sentimental reasons so as to incorporate the
original shrine which had been the scene of the dedication ceremony, while
beyond this there are no buildings until the small gate in the East wall of the
temenos is reached .
Of the decoration of
any of these buildings we know little . So much destroyed, and what remains
usually consists of tantalizing fragments or wearisome repetitions of the Royal
and Divine Names .
Close by lies a large square building which can be identified as the
slaughterers' yard, where the meat offerings were prepared . Between this and
the Sanctuary lie the foundations of the great stele and the colossal statue of
the King which we see in all the tomb pictures . Fragments of the stele have
been found and merely give a list of offerings or of the property of the god .
But quite a different type of temple was the " Sun-Shade "
which Akhenaten built for his mother Tiy, when she came to visit him at Amarna
in the twelfth year of his reign . We have seen how she brought with her ideas
from the outside world, and from the picture in the tomb of Huya it would seem
that her ideas in architecture did not conform to those in vogue at Amarna .
Professor Jean Capart sees in this picture a representation of a temple
differing but little from the normal Theban type . This will, of course, be
confirmed or contradicted when the remains of the building itself are
discovered, but from what we can make out in the picture it certainly seems as
if he is right . The first court is surrounded by a colonnade . Between the
columns statues are grouped in pairs, those of Tiy and Amenhotep III
alternating with those of Tiy and Akhenaten . The Sanctuary proper, though
evidently open to the sky, resembles the Theban temples by reason of the
grouping of a number of chambers round a central Holy of Holies, the whole
apparently being approached through a hypostyle hall .
Part ( 6 ) .. Coming SoOoOon .....
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