Ethnoarchaeology of Egyptian mudbrick houses: towards a holistic understanding of ancient Egyptian domestic architecture.

Abstract

The subject of domestic architecture in ancient Egypt has attracted less attention than other aspects of Egyptian culture. The traditional approach to the study of ancient Egyptian houses has been formal and largely focused on the site of Amarna, and context and material have not been actively integrated into the study of ancient Egyptian domestic architecture. Moreover, a methodology for the study of ancient Egyptian mudbrick houses has never been developed.

Thus, the aim of this research is to develop a methodology for the recording, analysis and interpretation of ancient Egyptian house remains. For that purpose, this research has adopted a broad theoretical approach, which includes the consideration of universal interaction, contextual and material factors. Its main objective was to carry out an ethnoarchaeological study in order to further explore the associations between humans and buildings and their physical reflection on the house (material and distribution and use of space). Through the collection of interviews, architectural surveys and observation data in three different areas of modern Egypt – the Nile Delta, Upper Egypt and the Dakhleh Oasis – a series of categories were developed and key concepts for interpretation identified. These were applied to a number of archaeological sites across different areas and periods of ancient Egyptian history. The application of the modern data categories and concepts to the archaeological data allowed for the identification of a series of key variables responsible for architectural features and for distribution and use of space within the house. These were articulated into a methodology that, it is expected, will provide a standard means of recording, analysis and interpretation of ancient Egyptian mudbrick houses in the future.