Staff room

What makes a building a palace?

	To acquaint pupils with ideas about the use of a buildings and how this can affect its size and layout. To introduce pupils to the idea of plans, reconstructions and interpretation.
	Plan of palace.
	Whole group discussion or small groups brainstorming then sharing ideas.

Individual project

Begin a discussion by asking pupils to identify what they think they would find in a palace.

Show pupils a plan of an Assyrian palace. Explain that this shows only the layout. It is difficult to know how many floors the building had.

Ask the pupils to think about the thickness of walls.

Do you think the walls would have supported an upper floor?
If there had been an upper floor what would have happened to it when the palace was burnt?
What might you find at ground level to show that there had been a upper floor?

Discuss how an archaeologist might work out what each room was used for.

How might you find out what each room was used for?
What might an archaeologist find to show that a room had been used as a library (kitchen, bedroom, throne room, dining room etc.)?
How might the wall relief decoration help show what the rooms had been used for?
What might a room decorated with religious scenes been used for?
If you had been king, what decoration might you have wanted to show your important guests?

Chapter and section used