The Three-Dimensional form of the Amarna House *

Abstract

Although the ground plans of over a thousand houses have been recovered during excavations at the site of el-Amarna, the three-dimensional form of these houses remains a matter of debate. The question of reconstruction is important as discussion of the typicality of Amarna domestic architecture, as well as broader issues of urbanism in the New Kingdom, involve comparisons between Amarna houses and houses at Thebes, known principally from tomb paintings. Here, analysis of ground plans is used to argue that Amarna houses were predominantly two-storey buildings closely related to Theban dwellings, although the latter may have been more closely packed and taller as a result of years of infilling. House P47.24 illustrates the move toward increasing density at el-Amarna.