DESCRIPTION:

The upper portion of the Tenta settlement is quite densely built up with rows of domestic structures occupying the whole of the eastern side and a building or complex of structures of unusually large size and elaborate plan taking up the whole west side. All of the major structures are curvilinear, but the shape, size and internal layout of the buildings and their construction methods vary widely. There is evidence at the top of the site for at least three superimposed architectural levels.

THE DOMESTIC UNITS

The plan of the domestic buildings at Tenta usually comprises a single curvilinear structure, although it is quite possible that several buildings belonged to the same family. The buildings may be of stone (42, 55), mudbrick (22, 35) or a combination of both. Single or double rectilinear piers often occur in the medium-sized or larger structures. These probably served to support an upper wooden floor.