A Sumerian Palace and the "A" cemetery at Kish, Mesopotamia

THE SUMERIAN PALACE AT MOUND "A," KISH 87
by 2.90 m; chamber 19, 6.60 by 3 m; chamber 20, 7 by 4.40 m; chamber 7, 4.75
by 3.10 metres.
In chamber 18 there were traces here and there of a burnt-brick pavement, of
bricks measuring 27 x 16 x 5-6 cm, the same size as those of the court. The paving
of chamber 19 was complete; and again of bricks of the same size as those of the
court. An unusual feature of this room was the brick lining to the walls, the
wainscot thus formed consisting of bricks laid on edge, of which about 8 cm
appeared above the level of the pavement. In this chamber also a limestone dish
(Plate XXXVII, Fig. 1) was found broken into many pieces. It appears to be of
the same date as the second occupation of the building.
Leaving the courtyard we now enter chamber 14, which measures 3.85 by
3.10 metres. Its walls show traces in many parts of having been heavily coated
with a white stucco. A thick layer of charcoal was found just above what remained
of a burnt-brick floor. The presence of this charcoal is difficult to under-
stand; it must have come there before the pavement was robbed of its bricks.
The walling at the west of this chamber is curiously thin as compared with the
other three sides, and in it recesses were built to accommodate a door. It should be
noted here that through this room alone could access be had to the great court
from without the building.
Through a plain entrance at the north of room 14, a square chamber (13) is
reached which measures 3 by 3.10 metres. Such a chamber as this, which
guards the line of communication, as it were, between the courtyard with its
chambers and the more important parts of the building on the east, may have
served the purpose of a guard-house.
The next chamber (No. 15) shows some interesting features. On the floor was
foimd what appears to have been a hearth, laid against the wall and protected
from it by a number of burnt bricks laid on edge. On the east of the hearth was a
low wall, 33 cm thick, standing 50 cm above the floor of the hearth. One would
have expected a similar wall on the other side, but it was only represented by a
single layer of plano-convex bricks. A photograph of this hearth may be seen in
Plate XXXI, Fig. 3, but through a mistake it was unfortunately taken before a
shallow basin made of broken pieces of plano-convex bricks and sunk below the
floor of the hearth was cleared out. This was 35 cm in diameter and 20 cm deep.
On the badly wrecked paving of this chamber, two pieces of copper, which
appear to be ingots, were found together with six water-worn pebbles, marked with
lines, that were evidently used as weights (Plates XXXVIII, Fig. 2 and XLII,
Figs. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15). The chamber measures 7.85 by 3 m and its northem
wall shows conspicuous traces of having been much rubbed by people as they
passed, doubtless avoiding the fire. It must be remembered that everyone
going to the great court had to pass this way. This hearth may, of course, have
been used for preparing food, but the presence of the copper ingots and the
weights strongly suggests an armorer's shop. A big fortress-palace such as this
would quite possibly have had a resident smith provided with the means of
repairing weapons and other implements.