6

IV. Types of Tombs.

Filled The fragments of the superstructures of 1506, 1581 and 1514 show similar characterestics
Mastaba .
Above the subterranean burial pit is a rectangular mastaba with its long axis running north
and south (as understood locally, really ca. 450 east of south). The mastaba has thick outer
walls of mud-brick, with a slight batter and is filled with gravel or rubbish. This super-
structure is not oriented exactly like the substructure j and in the case of 1506 could only
have been built after the substructure was covered over (i. e. after the burial). In the cases
of the stairway tombs, 1581 and 1506, the difficulties of construction, the manner in which the
stairways are filled, the absence of wooden coverings over the stairways, and the point at
which the enclosing wall crosses the stair, — all taken together lead to the same conclusionj
that the superstructure was built after the burial.1
offering The outer faces of the mastaba, on the southern side, on the valley (western) side and
niches
probably also on the northern side, are broken by a series of simple and compound niches
(see Pl. 11, 22 and 28). It is noteworthy that in the one case where part of the desert
(eastern) face was preserved (N. 1581), it contained no niches. In no case was any part of
the northern face recovered. It is uncertain whether there were more than one simple niche
between every two compound niches or not. These niches are square conforming to the
size of the bricks. That is, each face in the interior of the niche is formed in one case
by half a brick, in another by a whole brick so that in one case the small niche is 1 brick
wide and f brick deep, in the other, 1 brick wide and 1 brick deep, while the compound niche
is in one case i| brick wide and 1 brick deep, in the other 3 bricks wide and 2 bricks deep
(see map and fig. 65). In no case was the top of the niche preserved. But as all later niches
are covered at the top,2 these must also have been covered with wood or stone. And as
stone is otherwise not used in the construction of these mastabas, it is probable that the niches,
like the doorways of the substructure, were roofed with small branches with the bark on.
Enclosure Around the mastaba was built a plain wall parallel to the faces of the mastaba and at
a distance of from 50 to 100 cm. from it (see map). It was not possible to determine the
height of this wall. But whatever its height, it formed an enclosure all around the mastaba,
a sort of courtyard which prevented encroachment of other tombs on the mastaba itself and
intrusion on the ceremonies of presenting the offerings to the dead. The floor of the enclo-
sure was beaten mud laid on the desert and plastered. In one case (N. 1506") the enclosing
wall was broken by an entrance which had a small oval platform about it.
Under the enclosing wall of N. 1506 were two burials j under that of N. 1514 was one
burial. These burials were either contemporaneous or previous to 1506 and 1514 respectively
(see N. 1538 and 1582J.
1 There is even more definite evidence to the same conclusion in the case oi the later mastabas N. 761 and N. 742. This, of
course, does not justify the conclusion that the superstructure was always built after the burial, either in this period or in the succeeding
period. Large tombs like the royal tombs may have been prepared beforehand. But the statement is certainly true of all superstructures
of the first to sixth dynasties which we have excavated at Naga-ed-Der, and in all the tombs of the early fourth dynasty in Gizeh Wady.
In other words, it is probably the rule for poor tombs and may often have been the case in larger tombs.
2 N. 578, 579; N. cem. 3500 numerous cases; G. W. numerous cases, especially G. W. 24 and 72. In these cases, a single brick
or a stone slab is used to roof the niche or a mere vertical mark is made in the plaster with the finger or the hand (G. W. 39 and 62).
In none of these earlier cases, is there any attempt to copy the wooden beam in stone or mud. But the later tombs in Gizeh Wady (G. W. 19
ar|d 33) present example of the wooden beam copied in stone. In Covington’s tomb at Gizeh, the niches were roofed with tree branches.