Abstract (eng)
Dissertation "The Palace of Amanishakhete at Wad Ben Naga, Sudan" deals with analysis and interpretation of multiple aspects of a single archaeological structure. The thesis aims to represent the first comprehensive account on one of the best-preserved royal palaces of the Meroitic period, thus potentially contributing to discussions on Meroitic representative architecture, administration, material culture, royal ideology, etc. In the first part of the thesis, various sources of information on the Palace of Amanishakhete are presented and analysed. Chapter II deals with the evaluation of collected parts of the field records from largely unpublished 1958–1960 excavations in the palace, namely photographs, find entries, and object labels, as well as evaluation of some contemporary published accounts. It results in partial reconstruction of the character of excavations and particularly some archaeological contexts. Chapter III represents an archaeological report on the recent survey, excavations, and reexcavations in the palace by the Archaeological Expedition to Wad Ben Naga. The research was predominantly objective-based and provided new pieces of information about the original stratigraphy, architecture, construction technology, etc. Additional corpora of finds were retrieved, including those from undisturbed strata. Chapters IV and V comprise the analysis of all non-ceramic and ceramic finds, respectively, from both the previous and recent excavations. A catalogue of all recorded finds from the 1958–1960 excavations in the palace forms the appendix to the thesis. The second part of the thesis focuses on four research problems addressing different aspects of the structure. The present state of research is summarized for each of the problems and confronted with the new evidence. Chapter VI concerns the architectural form of the palace, namely the construction technology, external appearance, various architectural elements, etc. In chapter VII, chronological setting of various events and activities detected in the spatial context of the palace is discussed, such as its construction, construction of outbuildings, period of operation, secondary occupation, and destruction. Chapter VIII is dedicated to various functions of the spatial context of the palace, both during the primary and secondary occupations. Specific interpretational strategies are developed on account of limited knowledge of the original contexts of finds. In chapter IX, positions of the palace at the site and in the socio-economic, political, and ideological landscape of the Meroitic kingdom are assessed.