Notes on the Origin of Casemate Foundation Platforms in Ancient Egypt

Abstract

Casemate foundation platforms appeared in Egypt in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC during the 2nd Intermediate period. As they are similar in nature to palace-citadel structures from the capital of Egypt under the Hyksos, Avaris, the possibility of their being Asiatic in origin has been considered. Recently, however, similar structures from Deir el-Ballas have been associated with Nubian funerary architecture. Yet making a choice between these two hypotheses means forgetting about the achievements of Egyptian brick architecture. The link between casemate foundation platforms and high Nile floods, as well as their structural features, unquestionably suggest Egyptian origin. Over the course of this paper, I would like to consider if the appearance of casemate platforms in the 2nd Intermediate period and the beginning of the New Kingdom could be related to mastaba burials and the local development of foundation laying methods.

Keywords

• ancient Egypt
• architecture
• foundation platforms
• Near Eastern influences