XII - The Neo-Babylonian Private House 4
1. Historical building name: House 4.
2. Location according to the schematic plan: Residential quarter to the West of the
southern part of the Processional Way; to the North of the Nabu sha Hare Temple. The
area was called Merkes by R. Koldewey.
3. Lay-out of the historical building: Not available.
4. Description of the present state of preservation: a complete reconstruction of a NeoBabylonian house on the original foundations and the wall remnants. It has rectangular
shape, measuring 24,10 x 15,30 m, and two courtyards.
A/ Façades:
The Northern Façade:
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Fig. 1
One pipe for raining water at the top.
The upper part of the wall: the exterior plaster is destroyed; it is coming off and falling
off.
The minor losses close to the roof and at the concrete tiles, which enclosed the façade
(four rows).
The outline of another building foundations sticks to the concrete tiles. That another
building sticks to in the northern direction, its outlines are made of concrete tiles and
plastered by cement mortar; in the middle a little palm and some grass.
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The Eastern Façade:
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Fig. 2
Characteristic “saw-toothed” wall, one vent.
Two losses of the plaster in the middle part and in the northern part close to the roof.
The stripe approx. 2 m wide (from the ground level up to the roof level in the northern
part) – destroyed exterior layer of the plaster; the plaster is coming off and falling off.
The outline of the another building sticks to the façade, its outlines are made of concrete
tiles, plastered by cement plaster.
The Southern Façade:
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Fig. 3
Characteristic “saw-toothed” wall, two vents, one pipe for raining water at the top.
The main entrance in the eastern part, the another, smaller one in the western part.
Two horizontal plaster cracks (joints) – in the middle of the wall and close to the roof.
Cracked plaster, rain water stains.
The loss of the plaster at the base and close to the roof – the mud is washed away by the
rain.
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The Western Façade:
Fig. 4
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Two pipes for raining water at the top.
The clay from the exterior plaster is mostly washed away from the plaster, straw noticeable.
The losses of the plaster close to the roof – noticeable contemporary bricks, cement
plaster by the ground.
B/ Roof: There are no stairs leading to the roof inside the building.
Fig. 5
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C/ Interior:
Eastern courtyard – Floor:
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Fig. 6
Made of cement tiles, in the middle and at the walls a layer of sand.
In the middle – a little hole in one of the tiles.
Eastern courtyard – The Northern Wall:
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Fig. 7
There is a lack of plaster on the three rows of the bricks close to the roof.
The strip up to 0,5 m high above the ground level – destroyed and cracked plaster, major
losses.
The rest of the plaster – cracks, some minor losses, three major losses of the exterior
plaster in the middle-upper part.
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Eastern courtyard – The Eastern Wall:
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Fig. 8
There is a lack of plaster on the three rows of the bricks close to the roof.
Very badly damaged exterior layer of the plaster – a great number of losses, cracks.
The clay is strongly washed away from the plaster.
The loss of the mud plaster (the stripe approx. up to 0,7 m high above the ground level);
partially noticeable cement plaster as well as efflorescence.
Eastern courtyard – The Southern Wall:
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Fig. 9
There is a lack of plaster on the 3-4 rows of the bricks close to the roof.
The loss of the mud plaster in the stripe up to 0,6 m high above the ground level; partially
noticeable cement plaster as well as efflorescence.
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Eastern courtyard – The Western Wall:
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Fig. 10
There is a lack of plaster on four rows of the bricks close to the roof.
The loss of the mud plaster (the stripe up to 0,6 m high above the ground level) partially
noticeable cement plaster as well as efflorescence.
Cracked existing plaster, in three places the exterior layer of the plaster came off.
The room located North of the eastern courtyard – Floor:
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Fig. 11
Made of cement tiles; some sand and rubbish.
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The room located North of the eastern courtyard – Ceiling:
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Fig. 12
Very moist wooden beams and reed mats; white coating.
The room located North of the eastern courtyard – The Northern Wall:
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Fig. 13
Plaster with the addition of lime (?), cement plaster under it.
Soiled plaster, some minor cobwebs, water stains.
In the lower part – a major loss of exterior layer of the plaster.
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The room located North of the eastern courtyard – The Eastern Wall:
Fig. 14
 Plaster with the addition of lime (?), cement plaster under it.
 The vertical and horizontal cracks.
 Water stains, dirties, cobwebs.
 In the northern part by the floor there is a loss of the exterior layer of the plaster.
The room located North of the eastern courtyard – The Southern Wall:
i
Fig. 15
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Plaster with the addition of lime (?), cement plaster under it.
Dirties, rain water stains, cobwebs.
The loss of the plaster in low part of the eastern side.
Passage to the courtyard: in the low part of the eastern side the plaster – came off from
the wall, it is cracked and falling off.
The room located North of the eastern courtyard – The Western Wall:
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Fig. 16
Plaster with the addition of lime (?), cement plaster under it.
The vertical and horizontal cracks, some dirt, cobwebs.
Major water stain in the middle.
Minor losses.
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The room located South of the eastern courtyard – Floor:
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Fig. 17
Made of cement tiles, some sand and rubbish.
The room located South of the eastern courtyard – Ceiling:
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Fig. 18
The wooden beams and reed mats are very moist; white coating.
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The room located South of the eastern courtyard – The Northern Wall:
Fig. 19
 Plaster with the addition of lime (?), slightly soiled, cobwebs.
 Water stains – smudged clay, dirties, dust.
 At the top in the western part – air bubbles, the plaster split off from the wall.
 The vertical and horizontal cracks.
 The low part (up to 0,6 m high above the ground level) – plaster cracked and is
powdering, major losses especially near the entrance to the courtyard.
The room located South of the eastern courtyard – The Eastern Wall:
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Fig. 20
 Plaster with the addition of lime (?), slightly soiled, cobwebs.
 Water stains.
 Cracks and detachment in the lower part.
The room located South of the eastern courtyard – The Southern Wall:
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Fig. 21
Plaster with the addition of lime (?), slightly soiled, cobwebs.
Rain water stains.
Destroyed exterior layer of the plaster to the West of the entrance to the building: air
bubbles, cracks, powdering of the plaster.
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The room located South of the eastern courtyard – The Western Wall:
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Fig. 22
Wall – soiled, especially in the low part.
The stripe up to 1,2 m high above the floor level – destroyed plaster: cracks, detachment,
losses.
Western courtyard – Floor:
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Fig. 23
Made of cement tiles, some tiles do not lie accurately in the horizontal way; sand – in the
middle and at the walls.
In the middle – a hole in one of the tiles.
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Western courtyard – The Northern Wall:
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Fig. 24
The lack of plaster on the four highest rows of the contemporary baked bricks.
The whole exterior layer of the plaster – cracked.
There is a lack of the mud plaster in the stripe up to 0,5 m high above the floor level.
To the East of the entrance of the room – cement plaster, to the West – contemporary
baked bricks.
Western courtyard – The Eastern Wall:
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Fig. 25
There is a lack of plaster on the four highest rows of the contemporary baked bricks.
The whole exterior layer of the plaster – cracked, the clay is washed away from the
plaster in major percentage.
There is a lack of the mud plaster in the stripe up to 0,7 high above the floor level.
By the entrance to the two rooms the plaster is split off and cracked at the bottom.
Efflorescence on the plaster surface.
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Western courtyard – The Southern Wall:
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Fig. 26
There is a lack of plaster on the four highest rows of the contemporary baked bricks.
There is a lack of exterior plaster to the East of the entrance to the room up to 0,8 m high
above the floor level, noticeable cement plaster, partial efflorescence.
In the eastern part and above the entrance to the rooms – cracks.
Western courtyard – The Western Wall:
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Fig. 27
There is a lack of plaster on the four highest rows of the contemporary baked bricks.
There are four losses of the exterior plaster on the upper part of the wall.
There is a lack of plaster in the stripe up to 0,4 high above the floor level); noticeable
contemporary baked bricks.
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The room located North of the western courtyard – Floor:
Fig. 28
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Made of cement tiles, some sand.
The room located North of the western courtyard – Ceiling:
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Fig. 29
The wooden beams and the reed mats – moist.
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The room located North of the western courtyard – The Northern Wall:
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Fig. 30
Soiled plaster, minor cobwebs, droppings.
In the low part – horizontal and vertical cracks.
The room located North of the western courtyard – The Eastern Wall:
Fig. 31
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 Soiled plaster, minor cobwebs.
 Minor cracks.
The room located North of the western courtyard– The Southern Wall:
Fig. 32
 Destroyed plaster, cobwebs.
 Horizontal and vertical cracks.
 Some minor damages of the plaster near the floor.
 Traces of repairing of the plaster.
The room located North of the western courtyard – The Western Wall:
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Fig. 33
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Soiled plaster, cobwebs.
Horizontal and vertical cracks.
Some minor damages of the plaster near the floor.
Traces of repairing of the plaster.
2 rooms located East of the western courtyard – floor:
Fig. 34
Fig. 35
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Made of cement tiles, some sand.
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Two rooms located East of the western courtyard – Ceiling:
Fig. 36
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Fig. 37
The wooden beams and reed mats - moist, white coating.
Two rooms located East of the western courtyard – The Walls:
Fig. 38
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Fig. 39
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Dirties, cobwebs, rain water stains.
In the low part – large parts of the exterior plaster coming off from the interior plaster.
Air bubbles and cracks in the entrance to the rooms.
Traces of repairing of the plaster.
Three rooms located South of the western courtyard – Floor:
Fig. 40
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Fig. 41
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Made of cement tiles, some sand, rubbish.
Three rooms located South of the western courtyard – Ceiling:
Fig. 42
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Fig. 43
The wooden beams and reed mats – moist, white coating.
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 One cracked beam.
Three rooms located South of the western courtyard – The Walls:
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Fig. 44
Place soiled by dust, cobwebs, rain water stains, droppings.
Horizontal and vertical cracks of the plaster.
In some places near the floor – the plaster is cracking, powdering and coming off.
Four rooms located West of the western courtyard – Floor:
Fig. 45
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Fig. 46
Made of cement tiles; some sun-dried mud.
Four rooms located West of the western courtyard - Ceiling:
Fig. 47
Fig. 48
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The wooden beams and reed mats – moist, white coating.
Four rooms located West of the western courtyard – The Walls:
.
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Fig. 49
Fig. 50
Place soiled by dust, cobwebs, rain water stains, droppings.
Horizontal and vertical cracks of the plaster.
In some places near the floor – the plaster is cracking, powdering and coming off.
Description elaborated on 19th November 2004 and photographs taken on 20th
November 2004 by Mirosław OLBRYŚ (Poland).
The photograph no. 5 was taken by Agnieszka Dolatowska in July 2004.
Translated into English by Mirosław Olbryś and Piotr Szarżanowicz on 28th November 2004.
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