Power and architecture : monumental public architecture in the Bronze Age Near East and Aegean : proceedings of the international conference 'Power and Architecture' organized by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the Université Catholique de Louvain an

Public buildings reflect the investment of social resources and are usually interpreted as the embodiments of political, social, religious and economic power. The architecture of such buildings is often especially devised to reflect the performance of this power, incorporating a symbolism that served as a signpost for a particular social order. This symbolism was especially carried by monumentality and enhanced by scale, location, decoration, materials and visual impact. By making particular use of the natural landscape and the artificially created environment, the monumentality of public buildings helped to improve social cohesion and legitimated a particular societal system. Moreover, their intergenerational use gave such buildings great potential for communication and remembrance, especially during specific ceremonies. This volume is the reflection of an international conference which brought together specialists from two sides of the Eastern Mediterranean, the Near East and the Aegean, two areas that interrelated at different levels and at different moments during the Bronze Age, in order to examine how public architecture was used within this process. J. Bretschneider, G. Jans & K. Van Lerberghe, Power And Monument: Past And Present -- J. Bretschneider, The 'reception Palace' Of Uruk And Its Architectural Origin -- T. Cunningham, Havoc: The Destruction Of Power And The Power Of Destruction In Minoan Crete -- R. Dittmann, Elam And Babylonia: Two Neighbours In The Third Millennium B.c -- J. Driessen, Iib Or Not Iib: On The Beginnings Of Minoan Monument Building -- R. Fitzsimons, Architecture And Power In The Bronze Age Argolid -- R. Laffineur, Building For Ruling: Architecture And Power At Mycenae -- J.-w. Meyer, Town Planning In 3rd Millennium Tell Chuera -- M. C. Nelson, Pylos, Block Masonry And Monumental Architecture In The Late Bronze Age Peloponnese -- J. Oates, Monumental Public Architecture In Late Chalcolithic And Bronze Age Mesopotamia, With Particular Reference To Tell Brak And Tell Al Rimah -- L. Ristvet, The Third Millennium City Wall At Tell Leilan, Syria: Identity, Authority, And Urbanism -- I. Schoep, Architecture And Power: The Origins Of Minoan 'pala-tial Architecture' Edited By J. Bretschneider, J. Driessen, And K. Van Lerberghe. Proceedings Of The International Conference 'power And Architecture' Organized By The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, The Université Catholique De Louvain And The Westfälische Wilhelms-universität Münster On The 21st And 22nd Of November 2002. Includes Bibliographical References. CONTENTS 7 FOREWORD 9 POWER AND ARCHITECTURE 11 POWER AND MONUMENT: PAST AND PRESENT 13 THE ‘RECEPTION PALACE’ OF URUK AND ITS ARCHITECTURAL ORIGIN 21 HAVOC: THE DESTRUCTION OF POWER AND THE POWER OF DESTRUCTION IN MINOAN CRETE 33 ELAM AND BABYLONIA — TWO NEIGHBOURS IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM B.C. 55 IIB OR NOT IIB: ON THE BEGINNINGS OF MINOAN MONUMENT BUILDING 83 ARCHITECTURE AND POWER IN THE BRONZE AGE ARGOLID 103 BUILDING FOR RULING. ARCHITECTURE AND POWER AT MYCENAE 127 TOWN PLANNING IN 382 MILLENNIUM TELL CHUERA 139 PYLOS, BLOCK MASONRY AND MONUMENTAL ARCHITECTURE IN THE LATE BRONZE AGE PELOPONNESE 153 MONUMENTAL PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE IN LATE CHALCOLITHIC AND BRONZE AGE MESOPOTAMIA, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO TELL BRAK AND TELL AL RIMAH 171 THE THIRD MILLENNIUM CITY WALL AT TELL LEILAN, SYRIA: IDENTITY, AUTHORITY, AND URBANISM 193 ARCHITECTURE AND POWER: THE ORIGINS OF MINOAN ‘PALATIAL ARCHITECTURE’ 223