Model of a two-storey house

This model belongs to a series of similar pieces, each in the form of a house with an upper room and a flat roof. The façade is decorated with cords, concealing the joints between the component pieces of terracotta. The plan is reminiscent of domestic architecture found on Late Bronze Age archaeological sites (around 1500-1100 BCE), mainly in the mid-Euphrates region (Syria, east of Aleppo).This model, like others, has windows on the sides. However, excavations reveal that the buildings were semi-detached and arranged in blocks. This detail suggests that the object presented here represents the idea of a house, rather. It is not known what such models were used for, whether for domestic or religious purposes. There are no traces of fire or of incense residue. They have been preserved in exceptional condition, however, given the fragility of the materials used to make them.