Meroitic painted decoration at Jebel Barkal: the external façades of Palace B1500

The Meroitic Royal District of ancient Napata is located on the flat desert north-east of Jebel Barkal, the celebrated ‘Pure Mountain’ in the Fourth Cataract region. Since the 1970s, the excavations of the Italian Mission in Sudan have unearthed a complex system of palaces, kiosks, and other buildings integrated into a larger ceremonial area dating to the Meroitic period. The focus of the palatial area is Building B1500, the so-called ‘Palace of Natakamani’, a large edifice whose construction dates from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. The paper deals with the decorative programme of the external façades of the edifice, discussing appearance, technique, and functionality of plastering and painting activities.