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Conspectus Librorum - Book Review:


MULLER BÉATRICE , Les "maquettes architecturales" du Proche-Orient ancien,  Beyrouth 2002 (Bibliothèque archéologique et historique 160), Volume I: xiv-480 pp.+ Arabic summary, Volume II: iv-320 pp., 225 figs, 74 pls, ISBN 2-912738-14-8 / 2-912738-15-6. Price 60,00 EUR

Orders: ifapo@lb.refer.org

Mesopotamian and Levantine clay models generally considered to reproduce houses or shrines, have attracted considerable interest in the scholarly world. As recently as in 1996-1997, the Barcelona Centre for Contemporary Culture even devoted an exhibition to this particular class of ceramic productions. Today, we welcome the most complete study in this field and express our thanks to both its author for her expertise, as to the Beirut antenna of the Institut Français d'Archéologie du Proche-Orient for bringing this opus magnum to print.

A catalogue comprising 225 artefacts (pp.19-72) precedes the analytical chapters starting with the morphological classification (pp.75-80) and the architectural typology (pp.81-104).  In the following chapter, the author addresses the issue of models' bearing on ancient architecture (pp.105-121), their functions (pp.123-142) and fabrication techniques (pp.143-155). The inspiring example of the former promotor Prof. Jean Margueron transpires throughout pages 157-162, where modules and secondary axes of construction and composition are reviewed, whereas the seventh chapter concentrates on the models' iconography associated with the concept of regeneration (pp.163-173). After a succinct but very original ethnographical excursus (pp.175-178), the author returns to archaeological questions dealing with chronology, related artefacts and buildings, textual sources and sociological and symbolical connotations (pp.179-196). In her conclusions, she emphasizes that the models are not to be considered as replicas of actual buildings, but rather as furniture and implements used in a domestic or religious context (pp.197-205).The better part of the annexes is occupied by an in-depth analysis of every single example recorded in the catalogue (pp.207-413), recapitulative charts (pp.437-460), as well as a typological list (pp.461-462) and a neatly-organized index (pp.465-480).

Reiterating our appreciation for this remarkable tour de force, two more Iron Age models from the Phoenician coast should be noted here because of their relevance to this monograph's topic. The first one, found off-shore in front of Tyre represents the baking of sacrifical cakes in tannour-ovens within enclosure of a temple and was published by W. Culican (Opera Selecta, Göteborg 1986, pp.437-444). Only a glimpse of the second one now in a private London collection was published hitherto, but the example in question is certainly not without interest because of some rare features, including an external staircase (F. Biquel-Chartonnet - E. Gubel, Les Phéniciens. Aux origines du Liban, Paris 2000, p.109).

Eric Gubel

Conspectus Librorum