Middle Kingdom House Models

Fig. 1 - Home Model from Tomb of Meketre

     The wooden models found in the Middle Kingdom tomb of Meketre are justifiably famous, and I have discussed some of them in previous posts. One of the models from this tomb is of a nobleman's house.

Fig. 2 - Close up of the Courtyard of Meketre's Model

     This particular model shows the courtyard of Meketre's home. In the foreground is a pool surrounded by trees while at the rear of the model are several pillars holding up the ceiling of the houses interior.

     But not all home models are made of wood. Two more shown here are made of pottery. The first of these (figure 3) is now in the British Museum and has food offerings shown in the courtyard and may have functioned as an offering table with the opening of the front of the courtyard wall may have allowed the run off of liquid offerings. It shows a home with one (or two?) stories with a window high up on the ground floor to allow air to get in and smoke from a fire to get out. The roof was also used as a part of the living quarters.

Fig. 3 - Pottery Model of a House

Fig. 4 - Pottery Home Model in Manchester

     The second of these pottery models (found at el-Rifa (and now in the Manchester Museum) shows a home that clearly has two stories with a pair of pillars holding up a porch above the first story and three  more pillars holding up the roof of the second floor. This model shows an empty chair on the second floor and a bed under the porch on the first floor. There is what looks like a staircase to the second floor on the left side of the house.