السقوف في مباني العراق القديم في ضوء المعطيات الآثارية و النصوص المسمارية

Abstract EN

Buildings’ roofs belong to the number of the most important architectural elements in the buildings in the Ancient Mesopotamia.

Their kind depended on climate and environment, as well as building materials.

For example, trunks and branches of trees, straw and clay were used for ceiling.

Later, people started to use excellent trees imported from other regions, as well as palm trunks and cane, later – bricks and gypsum.

The form of ceiling developed as well – from dome to truss and then to the most popular flat roof.

Only few remnants of roofs are found during the archaeological excavations.

It happens because of the fragility of building materials, as well as their destruction under the heavy weight of archaeological layers during the long period of time.

The deconstruction also happened during wars, reconstruction of houses etc., since roofs belong to the most vulnerable parts of buildings.

This research represents an attempt to discuss the roofs of buildings in Ancient Iraq, the techniques of ceiling works and its kinds in the frames of information provided by archaeological excavations, as well as by some cuneiform texts which contain such data.