Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
a corbelled dome, or a pitched brick dome (cf Brinks LÄ II s v Kuppel col 883,
i g 5; Arnold Architecture s v Silo, pp. 99-100, i g C; Jequier, pp. 12-13, i g 4).
h e long gallery store room construction was typically pitched brick, cf the repeat-
edly illustrated store rooms set about the Ramesseum at h ebes (v Brinks LÄ III
s v Gewölbe col 590, i g 4; Arnold Architecture s v Grain store, Silo, pp. 99-100,
i g A; s v Vault, p. 252; Jequier, pp. 15-16, i g 6).
Human dwelling places (residential buildings) of whatever development were not
constructed of i nely dressed stone masonry, but of less enduring (and less impos-
ing) material—rubble and/or mud brick and wood. However they were of varied
construction, both trabeated and arcuated as also mixed trabeated and arcuated.
h e prejudice in favour of l at roofs for buildings of signii cance was partial in
its application. Moreover in later, i.e. Roman and Byzantine times, it came to be
extinct. h e upshot of this is that some Egyptian residential buildings are (partly)
roofed by arcuated brick construction.
h ere is no succinct general treatment available of this issue; here it is only pos-
sible to outline some leading considerations. Basic lower class housing in Pharaonic
Egypt, whether of mud brick or rubble construction (cf workers' villages at Deir
el Medineh, Kahun, etc.) appear as a rule to have been roofed by l at mud terrace
rooi ng carried on a timber frame. However ancient representations, generally in
the form of models show some small houses with arcuated rooi ng elements (cf
A. Bedawy, A History of Egyptian Architecture . . . h e Middle Kingdom . . . Los
Angeles 1966, p. 16, p. 13 pl 1). h us Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom houses
may have carried vaulting on occasions, but generally their rooi ng was l at terrace
rooi ng. h is is the picture presented at Lahun, the Pyramid Town of Sesostris II
(ca 1880 BC) which comprised mainly workers' houses together with some larger
houses or mansions for oi cials. In both instances l at mud terrace roofs were
standard but in both instances there were occasional barrel vaults (v Arnold,
Architecture
s v Kahun, pp. 118-19).
Direct information regarding the rooi ng of dwellings is more frequent in New
Kingdom times—with the outstanding case of Amarna, the “instant” capital of
Akhnaton. h e Amarna upper class house was of developed and characteristic
plan, incorporating both dignii ed reception halls and living rooms as also adequate
service apartments and facilities (v Spencer, pp. 94-95). Taken together a charac-
teristic distribution of rooi ng construction is indicated. Speaking in general terms
this distribution is also reproduced at e.g. Deir el Medineh funerary workers' vil-
lage and at Medinet Habu, priests' houses (cf Spencer, pp. 95-96). h e principal
apartments are with l at terrace rooi ng, but service apartments, communication
facilities (e.g. stairways), and above all cellars, were vaulted. h is distribution
adheres to the basic ideology that venues for dignii ed living should be l at roofed,
and vaults are only for utilitarian premises.
Incidence
of brick
vaulting
361
