DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0081
TOMB TYPES OF DYNASTY I, FIRST PART (MENES TO ZET)
49
(49) QS 2171 H: no superstructure; Archaic Mastabas, p. 16; time of Zer.
Substructure:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Depth
Overall .
. 1-7 m.
i-45 m.
1/1-25
2-29 sq. m.
0-9 m.
Inside
1-4 m.
1-05 m.
i/i'3
1-47 sq. m.
The unlined graves are QS 2188 and 2190.
The small graves consisting of an open pit sunk in the ground (in one case sunk in rock stratum),
and lined with c.b. and roofed with wood, formed the best type of small grave of Dyn. I. As already
stated, it was not an independent development but an imitation of the large tombs of type I A. The
examples extend from Naqadah to the region of Memphis. The type, like type I A, is an improvement
on the unlined open-pit grave, with examples of which it is usually in proximity. The burial is usually
on the left side and in the majority of cases with the face west. The burial receptacle also shows
improvement in that both wooden linings and wooden coffins have become frequent. Other receptacles
also occur, rectangular mud boxes, rectangular pottery boxes, and occasionally baskets.
This type of tomb, i a, was certainly in use for small graves in the reign of Menes, but the examples
in any provincial cemetery form only a small proportion of the whole. The examples are more numerous
after the reign of Narmer. They continued in use during the reigns of Zer, Zet, and probably to the
end of the dynasty, but dated examples are wanting, except in the graves subsidiary
to the royal tombs at Abydos. The use of this type, slightly modified, in the
groups of graves around the royal tombs at Abydos and around the valley shrines
of those tombs will be considered in Chapter IV.
c. Small Tombs of Type i b (1) and (2), multiple-chamber type
Just as the small graves with c.b. substructure and a single wood-roofed
chamber entered from above (type i a) were an imitation of the large tombs of
type I A, so the small tombs of type i b were imitations, or even merely small
forms of type I B. The examples of the small forms i b (1) are few in number. In
general they present the type form reduced to its last extremity with one chamber
at the end or one chamber at each end, taking the width of the substructure:
(1) El-Amrah, b 14: see Maclver, El-Amrah, p. 28, and Fig. 35.
Substructure: main chamber with one end chamber.
O 50
I-+-->
EL-AMRAH 614-
Fig. 35: Maclver,
El-Amrah and
Abydos, pl. IV
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Overall .
. 2-32 m.
1-14 m.
1/2
2-64 sq. m.
D. 1-7 m.
Room A .
• 1’43 m-
0-84 m.
1/1-17
i-2 sq. m.
H. 0-7 m.
Room B .
. 0-48 m.
0-84 m.
• .
0-4 sq. m.
H. 0-7 m.
Total floor area:
i-6 sq. m.
El-Amrah, b 50: see l.c.
, p. 28.
Substructure:
Measurements:
Overall .
. 1-7 m.
1-13 m.
1/1-15
1-93 sq-m-
D. 1-4 m.
Floor:
Room A
. 1-03 m.
0-83 m.
l/l-2
0-85 sq. m.
H. o-8 m.
Room B
. 0'22 m.
0-83 m.
• .
0-233 sq-m-
Total floor area:
1-09 sq. m.
49
(49) QS 2171 H: no superstructure; Archaic Mastabas, p. 16; time of Zer.
Substructure:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Depth
Overall .
. 1-7 m.
i-45 m.
1/1-25
2-29 sq. m.
0-9 m.
Inside
1-4 m.
1-05 m.
i/i'3
1-47 sq. m.
The unlined graves are QS 2188 and 2190.
The small graves consisting of an open pit sunk in the ground (in one case sunk in rock stratum),
and lined with c.b. and roofed with wood, formed the best type of small grave of Dyn. I. As already
stated, it was not an independent development but an imitation of the large tombs of type I A. The
examples extend from Naqadah to the region of Memphis. The type, like type I A, is an improvement
on the unlined open-pit grave, with examples of which it is usually in proximity. The burial is usually
on the left side and in the majority of cases with the face west. The burial receptacle also shows
improvement in that both wooden linings and wooden coffins have become frequent. Other receptacles
also occur, rectangular mud boxes, rectangular pottery boxes, and occasionally baskets.
This type of tomb, i a, was certainly in use for small graves in the reign of Menes, but the examples
in any provincial cemetery form only a small proportion of the whole. The examples are more numerous
after the reign of Narmer. They continued in use during the reigns of Zer, Zet, and probably to the
end of the dynasty, but dated examples are wanting, except in the graves subsidiary
to the royal tombs at Abydos. The use of this type, slightly modified, in the
groups of graves around the royal tombs at Abydos and around the valley shrines
of those tombs will be considered in Chapter IV.
c. Small Tombs of Type i b (1) and (2), multiple-chamber type
Just as the small graves with c.b. substructure and a single wood-roofed
chamber entered from above (type i a) were an imitation of the large tombs of
type I A, so the small tombs of type i b were imitations, or even merely small
forms of type I B. The examples of the small forms i b (1) are few in number. In
general they present the type form reduced to its last extremity with one chamber
at the end or one chamber at each end, taking the width of the substructure:
(1) El-Amrah, b 14: see Maclver, El-Amrah, p. 28, and Fig. 35.
Substructure: main chamber with one end chamber.
O 50
I-+-->
EL-AMRAH 614-
Fig. 35: Maclver,
El-Amrah and
Abydos, pl. IV
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Overall .
. 2-32 m.
1-14 m.
1/2
2-64 sq. m.
D. 1-7 m.
Room A .
• 1’43 m-
0-84 m.
1/1-17
i-2 sq. m.
H. 0-7 m.
Room B .
. 0-48 m.
0-84 m.
• .
0-4 sq. m.
H. 0-7 m.
Total floor area:
i-6 sq. m.
El-Amrah, b 50: see l.c.
, p. 28.
Substructure:
Measurements:
Overall .
. 1-7 m.
1-13 m.
1/1-15
1-93 sq-m-
D. 1-4 m.
Floor:
Room A
. 1-03 m.
0-83 m.
l/l-2
0-85 sq. m.
H. o-8 m.
Room B
. 0'22 m.
0-83 m.
• .
0-233 sq-m-
Total floor area:
1-09 sq. m.