1. Palace at Malkata

Painted mud fragments found at Room B

　A heavily ruined palace-city founded by Amenhotep III is preserved at Malqata. It consists of various structures in the desert; several residential palaces, a temple of Amen, a festival hall, elite villas, houses for the relatives of the King, apartments for attendants, and a desert altar termed the "Kom al-Samak"; All of which were constructed by mud bricks. The trace of a vast artificial harbor called "Birket Habu" is also still visible to the south-east of the palace-city, marked by continuous heaps of sandy soil. Excavation works at this large site, which is originally some three square kilometers in area if the "Kom al-Samak" is included, were begun by J. Daressy in 1888. After this partial excavation, R. de Tytus explored it and published a private preliminary report. Subsequently the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York denuded much of the site in 1910-1920. In the 1970's, the University Museum of Pennsylvania resumed its excavations.
　From 1985 this area became a concession of the Waseda University Mission. A number of the rooms in the main palace, including the Great Columned Hall which named "Room H" by Tytus, a suite of "Room K5", "Room L5", "Room N5" and "Room B5", along with the King's bedchamber were re-excavated in the following year under the direction of Dr. Prof. Yasutada Watanabe, the Department of Architecture at Waseda University.
　Numerous fragments of the paintings on walls and ceilings have been recovered from each room. Among the motifs on the painted fragments, spiral pattern and rosettes occupied the major part, although other motifs have been infrequently included. Careful analyses of the pieces led to the identification of several ornamental patterns. One of the most remarkable motifs is a succession of great vultures representing the Goddess Nekhbet outspreading the wings, under each of which the names and titles of Amenhotep III are depicted. The succession of vultures is surrounded by geometrical patterns on each side. This motif has been found at Rooms B, G, H, and the King's bedchamber in the Main Palace. On the basis of the actual painted fragments discovered from the above mentioned rooms, the ceiling paintings of each room has been restored, and color drawings have been made.

	Plan of the Main Palace at Malqata
	Fragments of the painted Nekhbet figure found at Room H
	Scroll pattern excavated at Room H
	Room H, right wing-tip of Nekhbet and hieroglyphs 'djet'
	Room H, detail of the above fragment, showing the traces of repainting
	Room H, reconstruction of the ceiling painting, the first phase
	Room H, reconstruction of the ceiling painting, the second phase

　Several geometrical decorative motifs have been reconstructed in the cases of Rooms K5, L5, N5, and B5. It would be remarkable to change the motif in each room, cf. Shin-ichi Nishimoto: "The Ceiling Paintings of the Harem Rooms at the Palace of Malqata", in Goettinger Miszellen 127 (Goettingen 1992), 69-80.

	Room L5, reconstruction of the ceiling painting
	Room N5, reconstruction of the ceiling painting
	Room B5, reconstruction of the ceiling painting

　In the King's bedchamber, the floor of the innermost part is raised where the king's bed had been placed. It was come to light that the ceiling of this upper level is drawn more elaborate than that of the lower level; The inscriptions is slightly longer, and the color of the center circle of rosettes is also changed from red to green.

	King's bedroom, general view
	King's bedroom, detail of mural painting
	King's bedroom, reassembled ceiling fragments
	King's bedroom, rosettes and checker pattern
	King's bedroom, right leg of Nekhbet and hieroglyphic signs of mri.f with white border and rosettes
	King's bedroom, reconstruction of the ceiling painting

　Approximately 2,000 pieces of the painted mud fragments were recovered at Room B by the clearance in 1988. Recent study has been focused on the restoration work of the various architectural decorations in Room B. 36 photographs are shown here, but some pieces were already reported briefly in "Studies on the Palace of Malqata; Investigations at the Palace of Malqata, 1985-1988", eds. by Takeshi Nakagawa and Shin-ichi Nishimoto, published by Chuo Koron Bijutsu Shuppan Ltd (Tokyo 1993). Detailed publication of the results of the investigations is planned in a series of volumes. The first volume entitled "Painted Mud Fragments found at Room B" will be published till the end of 2003.

2. Room Ｂ： Contents

• CEILING
  • Inscriptions
  • Nekhbet
  • Geometric Patterns
• WALL
  • Frieze Pattern
  • Cavetto Cornice
• DOORWAY
  • Lintel
    
    

• CEILING
  
  
  • Inscriptions
    

    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B0301: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, b; p. 80, Fig. 2-2-3.8a, 13. Lower part of "ntr nfr..." read from right to left, with left wing of Nekhbet below and "sn" preceding the sign of "ntr". (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B2602: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 81, Fig. 2-2-3.8b, 18. Part of "s3...", with left leg of Nekhbet and "sn", read from right to left. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 53KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B6202: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, e; p. 81, Fig. 2-2-3.8b, 22. "mi R'" with part of vanished cartouche (by Akhenaten), read from left to right. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 53KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B6701: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 80, Fig. 2-2-3.8a, 12, below. Erratum: This fragment can not assemble with No. B2801. Part of "s3..." with "sn", read from right to left. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 42KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B6801: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, f; p. 81, Fig. 2-2-3.8b, 25. Part of the prenomen cartouche of Amenhotep III, "(Nb-) m3't (-R'), tit R'", read from right to left; part of the left wing of Nekhbet is also visible above the cartouche. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B0901: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, c; p. 81, Fig. 2-2-3.8b, 15, above. This fragment can assemble with Nos. B1606 and B6006. Upper part of "(di) 'nh", read from right to left. Note that horizontal preliminary line is drawn in red on the top of this sign. Left wing of Nekhbet and vertical white border with its adjacent rosette are visible. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 46KB)
    	Reverse side of Fragment No. B0901: Imprint of bundles of grass for supporting the ceiling is clearly observed. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 46KB)

    
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  • Nekhbet
    

    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B7111: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, a; p. 80, Fig. 2-2-3.8a, 1. Top of the Nekhbet body, with her neck on the right. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B5504: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 80, Fig. 2-2-3.8a, 2. Upper body of Nekhbet with her neck and the left wing. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B8002: Left wing of Nekhbet. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 42KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B2801: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 80, Fig. 2-2-3.8a, 12, above. Erratum: This fragment can not assemble with No. B6701. Lower edge of the left wing of Nekhbet. Part of hieroglyphic sign "R'", and head of "s3" under the wing. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 63KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B4003: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 80, Fig. 2-2-3.8a, 4. Body of Nekhbet and her right wing. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1104: Left black wing of Nekhbet. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B4201: A section of black tail of Nekhbet. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 35KB)

    
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  • Geometric Patterns
    

    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B0803: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 82, Fig. 2-2-3.8c, 34. Erratum: read "w.l." for "r.l." in Fig. 2-2-3.8c, 34. Rosette all-over pattern with white border. White preliminary line is visible on the right. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 53KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1502: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 82, Fig. 2-2-3.8c, 36. Rosette all-over pattern. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B4504: Colored stripes surrounding the whole ceiling painting of Room B; The outermost yellow border survives. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 49KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1608: Cf. "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 82, Fig. 2-2-3.8c, 41. Note: This photograph is different from Fig. 2-2-3.8c, 41; because other tiny fragments could be re-assembled together. Section of the colored stripes. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 56KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B0501: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 82, Fig. 2-2-3.8c, 33. Section of a geometric pattern alternating bands of scroll and rosettes. Originally this fragment seems to have consisted the ceiling of the adjacent room. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 53KB)

    
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• WALL
  
  
  • Frieze Pattern
    

    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B3601: This fragment could be assembled with No. B3615. Section of a frieze pattern consisting of checker and circle painted in tan. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 42KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B3903: Section of a frieze pattern consisting of checker and colored stripes. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 42KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1401: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 83, Fig. 2-2-3.8d, 48. Section of a frieze pattern. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 42KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B2304: Section of a frieze pattern. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 35KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B5610: Section of a frieze pattern. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 35KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B7803: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 83, Fig. 2-2-3.8d, 47. Section of a frieze pattern. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 35KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B6104: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 83, Fig. 2-2-3.8d, 43. Section of a frieze pattern. Note faint red preliminary line visible under the checker pattern. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 46KB)

    
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  • Cavetto Cornice
    

    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1605: Uppermost section of cavetto cornice, decorated with a row of rosettes and border. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 42KB)
    	Another side of Fragment No. B1605: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 84, Fig. 2-2-3.8e, 59. Showing the cross section. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 32KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1811: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", p. 83, Fig. 2-2-3.8d, 53. Upper part of cornice. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 32KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B4603: Colored stripes of cavetto cornice. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 46KB)

    
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• DOORWAY
  
  
  • Lintel
    

    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B7706: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, j; p. 84, Fig. 2-2-3.8e, 56. Frieze pattern painted on the lintel. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 39KB)
    	Another side of Fragment No. B7706: "Studies on the Palace of Malqata", Color Plate 5, k Border painted on the lintel soffit. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 35KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B1301: Imprint of round beam of wood is noteworthy. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 46KB)
    	Reverse side of Fragment No. B1301: Imprint of round beam of wood is noteworthy. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 46KB)
    	Painted Mud Fragment No. B7610: Red and blue stripes on the yellow ground painted on the lintel soffit. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 39KB)
    	Reverse side of Fragment No. B7610: Imprint of round beam of wood is clearly visible. (JPG format, 72 DPI, ca. 39KB)

    
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