DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0166
134
TOMB TYPES OF DYNASTY II
this was a corbel-tomb although Mad ver marks it with ‘ normal roof ’ (i.e. wooden roof). He may
have seen the wood which roofed the entrance in this type.
o-8 sq. m.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W Prop.
Area
Overall .
. 2-06 m.
1-25 m. i/i-6
2'57 sq-m-
Depth of open pit
1-37 m.
Height of c.b. as preserved
0-46 m.
Floor area:
Main chamber
1-07 m.
0-58 m.
0-62 sq. m.
Estimated size
of crushed end
rooms ....
. 0-18 sq. m.
2-xvi. El-Amrah b 137: see Z.c., p. 28. One-room corbel with entrance (?); intact; pl. Ill, 5
Measurements: N-S
Overall . . . 2-28 m.
Floor . . . 1-63 m.
Height of c.b. mass .
Height of corbel inside
2-xvii. El-Amrah b 96: see l.c., p. 27; like b
Measurements: N-S
Floor area . . 1-07 m.
E-W
Prop.
Area
1-42 m.
i/i-5
3-24 sq. m.
i-o m.
• •
1-65 sq. m.
1-3 m.
it m., I-I2 m.
37-
E-W
Prop.
Area
0-71 m.
0-76 sq. m.
2-xviii. El-Amrah b 97: see l.c., p. 27; like b 96. Corbel (?).
These tombs are all with floor areas varying from 0-76 to 1-65 sq. m.
4. MEMPHITE TOMBS OF TYPE IV OF DYNASTY II
a. Change from Open Pit Type to Deep Underground Type of Tomb
The corbel-roofed tombs of Dyn. II in the Thinite Nome were the last of the series of large tombs
consisting of a c.b. structure built in an open pit which began in the reign of Menes. Another type
of tomb with c.b. vault in an open pit appears after a lapse of several centuries to continue throughout
the whole further course of Egyptian history; but the examples of this type were generally communal
burial-places. The next type of large tomb in Upper Egypt was the deep stairway tomb of Dyn. HI
excavated in the gravel stratum. In the meantime the deep stairway tomb excavated in the solid rock
had come into use at Memphis early in Dyn. II.
Unfortunately we have only one royal tomb which might be assigned to this dynasty, the peculiar
layer pyramid of Zawiyet-el-Aryan (see Fig. 57), excavated by Barsanti (see Annales, II. 92-94; L. D.,
Text, I, p. 123; Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, No. 54, 1911). This pyramid is built of
small stones of poor quality taken from the quarries along the edge of the wady to the south of the
pyramid. The pyramid consists of a nucleus, about 11 m. square, and coated with 14 layers of stone each
about 2-6 m. thick. The faces had an angle of 68°. The base of the pyramid was about 83-8 m. square.
The stones are not laid horizontally but slope downwards from the face of the course at right angles
to the face (220 to the horizontal). Traces were found of c.b. which may indicate that the pyramid was
cased with that material. How it was finished at the top is not clear, but we assumed at the time of our
excavations that the pyramid had been finished as a step pyramid (partly on account of the angle). The
burial apartments were of the stairway type. Out to the north of the pyramid a stairway 10 m. long, open
TOMB TYPES OF DYNASTY II
this was a corbel-tomb although Mad ver marks it with ‘ normal roof ’ (i.e. wooden roof). He may
have seen the wood which roofed the entrance in this type.
o-8 sq. m.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W Prop.
Area
Overall .
. 2-06 m.
1-25 m. i/i-6
2'57 sq-m-
Depth of open pit
1-37 m.
Height of c.b. as preserved
0-46 m.
Floor area:
Main chamber
1-07 m.
0-58 m.
0-62 sq. m.
Estimated size
of crushed end
rooms ....
. 0-18 sq. m.
2-xvi. El-Amrah b 137: see Z.c., p. 28. One-room corbel with entrance (?); intact; pl. Ill, 5
Measurements: N-S
Overall . . . 2-28 m.
Floor . . . 1-63 m.
Height of c.b. mass .
Height of corbel inside
2-xvii. El-Amrah b 96: see l.c., p. 27; like b
Measurements: N-S
Floor area . . 1-07 m.
E-W
Prop.
Area
1-42 m.
i/i-5
3-24 sq. m.
i-o m.
• •
1-65 sq. m.
1-3 m.
it m., I-I2 m.
37-
E-W
Prop.
Area
0-71 m.
0-76 sq. m.
2-xviii. El-Amrah b 97: see l.c., p. 27; like b 96. Corbel (?).
These tombs are all with floor areas varying from 0-76 to 1-65 sq. m.
4. MEMPHITE TOMBS OF TYPE IV OF DYNASTY II
a. Change from Open Pit Type to Deep Underground Type of Tomb
The corbel-roofed tombs of Dyn. II in the Thinite Nome were the last of the series of large tombs
consisting of a c.b. structure built in an open pit which began in the reign of Menes. Another type
of tomb with c.b. vault in an open pit appears after a lapse of several centuries to continue throughout
the whole further course of Egyptian history; but the examples of this type were generally communal
burial-places. The next type of large tomb in Upper Egypt was the deep stairway tomb of Dyn. HI
excavated in the gravel stratum. In the meantime the deep stairway tomb excavated in the solid rock
had come into use at Memphis early in Dyn. II.
Unfortunately we have only one royal tomb which might be assigned to this dynasty, the peculiar
layer pyramid of Zawiyet-el-Aryan (see Fig. 57), excavated by Barsanti (see Annales, II. 92-94; L. D.,
Text, I, p. 123; Bulletin of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, No. 54, 1911). This pyramid is built of
small stones of poor quality taken from the quarries along the edge of the wady to the south of the
pyramid. The pyramid consists of a nucleus, about 11 m. square, and coated with 14 layers of stone each
about 2-6 m. thick. The faces had an angle of 68°. The base of the pyramid was about 83-8 m. square.
The stones are not laid horizontally but slope downwards from the face of the course at right angles
to the face (220 to the horizontal). Traces were found of c.b. which may indicate that the pyramid was
cased with that material. How it was finished at the top is not clear, but we assumed at the time of our
excavations that the pyramid had been finished as a step pyramid (partly on account of the angle). The
burial apartments were of the stairway type. Out to the north of the pyramid a stairway 10 m. long, open