DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.50107#0025
II
TYPES OF GRAVES AND BURIALS IN CEM. N 500—900
1. TYPES OF GRAVES
THE changes in the forms and the materials used to construct the tombs of the first six dynasties
follow the growth in the technical means and the skill which was acquired by the craftsmen of
Egypt, and in particular by the masons and builders. Even before Dyn. I the Egyptians had learned the
use of crude bricks in well-bonded walls with wooden roofs and door-frames. By the end of Dyn. II
they had developed a very complete style of architecture in crude brick with columns of characteristic
forms, arches, concave cornices, and other elements which passed into the stone architecture of the
pyramid period. By tradition the first building of dressed stone was the Temple of Zoser at the Step
Pyramid built by Imhotep; and this tradition is confirmed by the present knowledge gained from
excavations. During the years 1924-1927 Mr. C. M. Firth, working for the Egyptian Government, has
been engaged in the excavation of that temple. Elsewhere, one or two mass constructions of undressed
stones may be earlier; and at Abu Roash the French Institute found a few graves of modest size which
may have had rough stone superstructures; but the Zoser Temple presents the earliest known large
building of complex plan and real beauty of construction. In that building the elements and devices of
the older crude-brick architecture have been found copied or rather translated into limestone. The
development of the stone-built pyramids and tombs of Dynasties III-IV was based directly on the
architecture of the Pyramid and Temple of Zoser. During this period, the royal court was at Memphis
and consequently the translation of the old crude-brick architecture into limestone affected primarily
the sites in the neighbourhood of Memphis: Medum, Dahshur, Saqqarah, Giza, and Abu Roash. Even
in this region directly under the influence of the court, crude bricks were still used in the construction
of mastabas and offering chapels. Most of the exterior chapels of the royal mastabas at Giza were of
crude brick; and the temples of the Pyramid of Mycerinus were cased in that material. This crude
brick was the foundation of Egyptian architecture of all kinds, and continuing in use always maintained
some influence on later architectural developments. In our cemetery N 500-900, all constructions were
of crude brick. The site is in Upper Egypt almost across the river from Abydos, directly opposite the
Third Dynasty site of Bet Khallaf, excavated by Prof. Garstang. Although Cem. N 500-900 continued
in use until Dyn. VI, its constructions were hardly affected by the stone masonry developed at Memphis.
Consequently the development of the tomb-types used in the cemetery is based on the crude-brick types
of Dyn. I and II as recorded in the province of Abydos (or This) and other Upper Egyptian provinces.
In Naga-d-Der, I (p. n), the principle was laid down that the main line of development is to be
found in the large tombs, for the owners of the large tombs were those who had the means to command
the services of the most advanced craftsmen. That main line is in fact to be sought only in the tombs
of the kings and their courts; but in a provincial cemetery, the main line is represented by the largest
available tombs, which will be found to follow very closely, though with a slight retardation in time,
all the great changes introduced at court. The small tombs copy or imitate as far as possible the features
of the large tombs just as the large tombs follow those of the royal cemetery. The most striking instance
of this imitation is the use of little storage chambers in the small tombs of Dyn. I and II; for, while in
the large tombs these walls served to support the roof, in the small tombs they have no structural
TYPES OF GRAVES AND BURIALS IN CEM. N 500—900
1. TYPES OF GRAVES
THE changes in the forms and the materials used to construct the tombs of the first six dynasties
follow the growth in the technical means and the skill which was acquired by the craftsmen of
Egypt, and in particular by the masons and builders. Even before Dyn. I the Egyptians had learned the
use of crude bricks in well-bonded walls with wooden roofs and door-frames. By the end of Dyn. II
they had developed a very complete style of architecture in crude brick with columns of characteristic
forms, arches, concave cornices, and other elements which passed into the stone architecture of the
pyramid period. By tradition the first building of dressed stone was the Temple of Zoser at the Step
Pyramid built by Imhotep; and this tradition is confirmed by the present knowledge gained from
excavations. During the years 1924-1927 Mr. C. M. Firth, working for the Egyptian Government, has
been engaged in the excavation of that temple. Elsewhere, one or two mass constructions of undressed
stones may be earlier; and at Abu Roash the French Institute found a few graves of modest size which
may have had rough stone superstructures; but the Zoser Temple presents the earliest known large
building of complex plan and real beauty of construction. In that building the elements and devices of
the older crude-brick architecture have been found copied or rather translated into limestone. The
development of the stone-built pyramids and tombs of Dynasties III-IV was based directly on the
architecture of the Pyramid and Temple of Zoser. During this period, the royal court was at Memphis
and consequently the translation of the old crude-brick architecture into limestone affected primarily
the sites in the neighbourhood of Memphis: Medum, Dahshur, Saqqarah, Giza, and Abu Roash. Even
in this region directly under the influence of the court, crude bricks were still used in the construction
of mastabas and offering chapels. Most of the exterior chapels of the royal mastabas at Giza were of
crude brick; and the temples of the Pyramid of Mycerinus were cased in that material. This crude
brick was the foundation of Egyptian architecture of all kinds, and continuing in use always maintained
some influence on later architectural developments. In our cemetery N 500-900, all constructions were
of crude brick. The site is in Upper Egypt almost across the river from Abydos, directly opposite the
Third Dynasty site of Bet Khallaf, excavated by Prof. Garstang. Although Cem. N 500-900 continued
in use until Dyn. VI, its constructions were hardly affected by the stone masonry developed at Memphis.
Consequently the development of the tomb-types used in the cemetery is based on the crude-brick types
of Dyn. I and II as recorded in the province of Abydos (or This) and other Upper Egyptian provinces.
In Naga-d-Der, I (p. n), the principle was laid down that the main line of development is to be
found in the large tombs, for the owners of the large tombs were those who had the means to command
the services of the most advanced craftsmen. That main line is in fact to be sought only in the tombs
of the kings and their courts; but in a provincial cemetery, the main line is represented by the largest
available tombs, which will be found to follow very closely, though with a slight retardation in time,
all the great changes introduced at court. The small tombs copy or imitate as far as possible the features
of the large tombs just as the large tombs follow those of the royal cemetery. The most striking instance
of this imitation is the use of little storage chambers in the small tombs of Dyn. I and II; for, while in
the large tombs these walls served to support the roof, in the small tombs they have no structural