Building Between the Two Rivers: An Introduction to the Building Archaeology of Ancient Mesopotamia

Building between the Two Rivers aims to supply university students and scholars of Near Eastern archaeology with an introduction to 'Building archaeology' methods as applied to the context of Ancient Mesopotamia. It helps the reader understand the principles underlying the discipline, which deals with the registration and analysis of all building materials and techniques involved in the assembly and erection of a construction, and to outline what knowledge and skills are needed, beyond those that are specific to archaeologists.

The in-depth registration and analysis of building materials and techniques requires professional skills and experience, which cannot be achieved with only a standard university training in archaeology. However, archaeologists need to know the basics of the classification of building materials, their physical properties, the main techniques of their finishing, as well as the basic principles of statics. They should also be able to let architects understand how to better tune the registration of data to ensure a fruitful archaeological interpretation.

Due to the introductory nature of the book, contents are organised in didactic chapters, trying to cover all the main topics and displaying them by means of selected examples. Particular attention is given to the methods of the 'stratigraphic reading', which are discussed in a dedicated appendix authored by Piero Gilento. A thematic bibliography and a technical glossary complete the book, helping readers enhance their understanding of the subject.

Table of Contents

Preface

Building archaeology: goals and methods

Building archaeology

The building survey and stratigraphy

Direct and indirect sources

The Mesopotamian context

Land use and water management

Urbanisation and city planning

Ancient cartography, topography and surveying

Commissioners, designers and builders

Ancient building crafts and technology

Building materials

Building materials: general characteristics

Earth architecture

Stone

Mortar

Bitumen

Wood and reeds

Metals

Claddings and decorations

Architectural elements

Load-bearing structural systems: general features

Walls

Arches, vaults and domes

Pillars and columns

Openings

Staircases

Domestic and urban structures for water management

Pavements, ceilings and roofs

Building types

Ziggurats and temples

Palaces

Fortifications

Houses, storage- and workplaces

Roads, streets, bridges

Infrastructures for the water management

Gardens and orchards

Portable shelters

Funerary buildings

Conclusions

Appendix: the methods of building archaeology – (Piero Gilento)

What is and what does ‘building archaeology’ deal with?

Architectural stratigraphy

What is a Stratigraphic Building Unit (SBU)?

What stratigraphic relationships exist between the SBUs?

Typology and chronotypology in building archaeology

How to work

Web resources

Thematic bibliography

The Mesopotamian context

Building materials

Architectural elements

Building types

Bibliographic references

Chronological table

Glossary and analytical index

Illustration credits