Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/61

 Architecture. 45 the rich had their summer-houses, surrounded by pleasure-grounds and gardens, where traces of rills or canals have been found which bisected each other in every direction for the purpose of irrigation or drainage. On the north and north-west, where the enclosed city was unprotected by the Euphrates, a deep ditch or moat had been excavated to receive the flow of a small rill ; whilst the side which skirted the country was fenced by a tall wall. Reference to Fig. 257, representing Kadesh, shows that both fortresses had a double wall, and that the interposing space was occupied by a broad ditch or moat always full of water.^ The set-off of the wall is still apparent throughout ; its height from the outside is from eight to ten metres. To the north-east of the enclosure is a mound, which rises about 15 m. above the city level, and more than 30 above the bed of the river, so that it can be seen at a great distance. A ravine cuts it in two parts ; these doubtless formerly supported twin buildings, separated by the steep ravine, which was ascended by a ramp, thus constituting a strong citadel, which there is every reason to suppose was the royal palace. To the north-west of the acropolis, Mr. Henderson discovered a long room or passage, whose walls were covered with bas-reliefs, as at Nineveh; the western wall, which is still intact, is 20 m. in height by 6 m. in breadth. It is no easy matter to fix the date of this building ; bricks were certainly found with the name of Sargon incised upon them, from which it might be argued that the palace was erected under the Sargonides by the Assyrian governor residing here. On the other hand, two large sculptured tablets of stone found in place bear the unmistakable stamp of Hittite art, leading to the not improbable conclusion that the Assyrians found the building on their arrival, which they repaired or added to, to suit their individual taste or convenience. With regard to the manipulation of .the female deity figured on one of the slabs, and the worshipping priestess on the other, we can form no distinct idea except such as may be derived from verbal description, for the stones were found too heavy to be taken away, and no drawing or photograph was attempted to supply their phice. It represents a winged Anath or Ashtoreth, full face and nude, her hands pointed to her breasts — a type, it will be seen, nearly identical with that so often encountered throughout the East, from Susiana to Cyprus, and the Western colonies of Phoenicia — a
 * CoNDER, loc. cit.