Singular, specific, or regular? A central building in Pi-Ramesse

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Regine Schulz; Professorin Dr. Alexandra Verbovsek
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458316786

The project focuses on the excavation with a detailed archaeological survey and the documentation of the architectural structure and decoration of selected parts of a monumental complex in Pi-Ramesse, the capital of several kings of the 19th and 20th dynasties in the eastern Delta of Egypt. Magnetic investigations at the so-called excavation site Q VIII revealed the remains of a large, coherent building structure of approximately 37,500 m². According to its shape it was most probably a palace. In its earliest phase it may date back to the reign of Ramses II. The main goals of the project are to determine the layout of the complex, the axes and the size of the rooms, as well as to differentiate and date the individual phases of the construction and its use, as far as possible.Special emphasis is given to the decoration of the building: In earlier campaigns, fresco paintings and colourful, inscribed relief fragments have been discovered, which will be restored and researched from a technological, stylistic-iconographic and compositional point of view. In addition, many faience tiles and inlays with pictures and inscriptions that originally decorated the walls, floors and other architectural elements of the palatial rooms in Pi-Ramesse must be rediscovered in museums, collections and depots, and compared with similar objects from other palaces.The overall goal of the project is to compare the architecture of the complex and its decoration with other palatial complexes of the New Kingdom. How do the special political and ideological conditions of the Ramesside period affect the layout of the complex, and was there any kind of response to the climatic and hydrogeographic peculiarities of the Nile Delta? How unique are the features, or can parallels be found? In particular, questions arise on similarities, but also on differences to the palaces of Amarna. Furthermore, there will be a focus on the analysis of the lime plasters used as the base for paintings, as well as on a closely related group of technical ceramics used for the production of Egyptian Blue. In addition, the composition of the bricks has to be investigated, including some very rarely discovered fired bricks. The publication will take place within the framework of annual preliminary reports and at least one final monograph in the already established series "Forschungen in der Ramses-Stadt".

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Henning Franzmeier