A Tale of Two Palaces: Recent Excavations at Qantir-Pi-Ramesse

Guest Speaker: Henning Franzmeier, William Kelly Simpson Visiting Professor of Egyptology, Spring 2026

Excavations at Ramesses II’s capital at Pi-Ramesse/Qantir have revealed a complex of palaces, industrial areas and domestic spaces, and recently the remains of a large-scale building complex consisting of two successive palatial buildings. One evokes the palace of Merenptah at Memphis, complete with decorated remnants showing evidence for inlaid decoration. 

Beneath this a second palace was identified. It is smaller and more modestly constructed. However, there is evidence for polychrome wall paintings, evoking the decoration of Amenhotep III’s Malqata palace and the royal buildings at Amarna. This lecture will present an overview of the two palaces and contextualise them within the repertoire of New Kingdom palace architecture.

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