ABSTRACT
Most discussions of domestic architecture in ancient Egypt have concentrated on the remains from Tell
el-Amarna. The "standard Amarna villa" has been cited in innumerable publications as the
quintessential pre-Roman example of domestic architecture from the Mediterranean world.306 One
might postulate, however, that Tell el-Amarna was unique not only in its temple architecture, but also
in the houses of the populace. Contrary to this view, Fairman has suggested that "the Amarna house
was fully in keeping with tradition.,,307 Recently, Barry Kemp has noted that the similarity of the
workmen's villages at Tell el-Amarna and Deir el-Medina might "afford an indication of how enduring
the el-Amarna house type might have been in the New Kingdom.,,308 Nevertheless, we might question
the applicability of the Amarna "villas" as the paradigm of pharaonic urban dwellings. Whether or not
the available evidence supports Kemp's thesis will be examined below.
