(One of) King Solomon’s Mines

The latest bit of my 15mm Biblical settlement. Not so interesting as the last one - but completed more quickly!

Inspired by a History Channel documentary, and the eBay discovery of a souvenir bottle of coloured sand from Timna in the south of Israel. This now covers the area, along with some model railway coal as slag.

Timna has many ancient copper mines and the remains of smelting camps. Here is my attempt to replicate a small part of the area. Copper mining also took place in Sudan, so some of my miners and smelters may have come from there…

The mine area:

The onagers (which may actually be mules in disguise) I have had for so long that I have no memory of where they are from.

Other figures are from Xyston, Essex, Chariot and Forged in Battle.

The smelting area:

There are two smelters, one operated by bellows…

…and the other by blowpipes.

The bellows and pipes are all worked by Blue Moon African villagers, some of whom have had head transplants. The wineskin carrying lady is an Irregular African villager. Other figures as before

Animal pens were found in the area, showing evidence of occupation by goats and onagers.

Goats are from Pendraken/Minibits and Irregular, Onagers from Museum Miniatures, straw is 6mm static grass. Stable and gates are scratchbuilt from various oddments of wood, hurdle fence from Crom's Anvil. Thatch is model railway reeds.

Biblical Royal Palace – Finished!

 

Well, at last the king’s palace has been completed. Built from 2mm and 3mm mdf, on a base from Sarissa.

Based on archaeology from several places in the Near East, along with Biblical descriptions of David’s and Solomon’s palaces, and a light sprinkling of Hollywood.

Window frames modified from those by ks_creation on eBay.

Skylight window frames are dice frames from Minibits.

Water jar on roof from Crom’s Anvil, but it’s really there as a handle to lift the roof.

The main entrance is based on archaeology at Hazor; capitals cast in resin from a scratchbuilt master on pillars from square styrene tube.

Palace guards are Chariot/Magister Militum. The terrible picture was taken with an endoscope – a less than successful attempt to go inside buildings.

The throne hall has a public gallery. ‘Stone’ foundations of wooden columns are cut from Fenris 28mm ‘brick’ columns.

Shields from Chariot/Magister Militum.

Lions on steps (1 Kings 10:20) are Donnington boar standards, with filed snouts and fuse wire tails.

The king’s dais is removeable, so it can be used elsewhere, and so the building can become Assyrian or Minoan if required.

The king is a Xyston ‘Antigonas’ with a head transplant, and a crown grafted onto that. Both donor parts from Chariot/Magister Militum.

Ahilud the recorder and Seraiah the Secretary from Museum.

Firebowls from Crom’s Anvil on bell cap stands.

The palace is built around an open courtyard.

The accommodation is perhaps rather less decorated than it should be, again for versatility. (Definitely not laziness or lack of ability…)

Doors are cherry on ribbon hinges, except for those into the throne room, which are from Bethlehem olivewood. (I must include something properly Biblical!)

Of course, next to the king’s throne room is his throne room. Archaeological precedent from Lachish.

Kings had many wives, mostly for political purposes, so they need accommodation too.

Harem dividers and bed canopies are 28mm scale mdf door frames from Empires at War, which turned out to be the perfect height for my ceilings, and width for my ribbon!

Harem eunuchs are Irregular ‘African chubby male civilians’ with Peter Pig eunuch heads.

Furniture scratchbuilt in maple, cherry and walnut from W. Hobby and Cornwall Model Boats.

Individual jars, pots, baskets and tableware mostly 3d printed from Crom’s Anvil, with a couple of Essex bits.

Stairs are Plastruct.

The kitchen and servants quarters are on one side of the courtyard, the kitchen and storerooms  at ground level…

…and accommodation above.

Ladders are model rail signal ladders in etched brass, from C R Signals, bent, twisted, and straightened to (hopefully) look more like wood.

Stacks of supplies and cooking fire are Baueda.

Other people are classical, Celtic, or generic ancient civilians from Baueda, Blue Moon, Chariot, Essex, Forged in Battle, Irregular and Xyston. Perhaps some from other places have sneaked in.

Thanks for looking. I’m thinking either a harbour or ‘King Solomon’s Mines’ next…