DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0168
136
TOMB TYPES OF DYNASTY II
other galleries branching from the main entrance passage under the pyramid. The form and construc-
tion of the pyramid make it plausible that it was the work of Dyn. II. The underground passages cut in
the rock are clearly to be grouped with the deep rock-cut stairway tombs of Saqqarah dated to Dyn. II,
and I would mark this substructure as type RT IV. The important graves on the plateau to the north
were of Dyn. I, II, and III. The mastabas of Dyn. Ill had bowls inscribed with the name of the
Horus Kha-bauw, who has not been identified with any king known to the lists. The pyramid is
certainly later than Dyn. I and it may be that the owner or builder was of the family represented by the
cemetery of Dyn. I. The tombs of Dyn. II were all small, and for that reason I formerly ascribed the
pyramid to Dyn. III. But if the tomb was never used, as appears probable, the lack of important tombs
of Dyn. II is explained. The identification of the builder remains obscure and the site of his final
burial-place is probably yet undiscovered. The name, the Horus Kha-bauw, gives us no clue to the
identity of that king. Nevertheless, I place this pyramid as a type of Dyn. II which was used at Memphis
in the period of the open trench tombs of Abydos. It is only possible of development in the Memphite
area. Whether it gave the pattern for the private rock-cut tombs or arose out of the same technical
development as those tombs, it certainly belongs by its place and form to this same archaeological
group. It may be remembered that in the enclosure of the Zoser pyramid Firth found similar galleries
with magazines also cut in the rock. See also the gallery under the enclosure of the Unas Pyramid
(Barsanti, Annales, II, p. 250; Firth, Annales, XXX, p. 187).
b. Saqqarah Tombs of Type IV of Dynasty II
At Saqqarah, during the latter part of Dyn. I, the open-pit substructure with wooden or stone roof
was cut down from the surface of the rock with only the small magazines excavated in the rock. In
Dyn. II this open-pit type was replaced almost entirely by deep underground burial-chambers hollowed
out of the solid limestone. The material at present comes chiefly from Quibell’s Archaic Mastabas,
here referred to as ‘QS’ (see Figs. 58, 59). Other tombs in this cemetery were excavated by Mr. C. M.
Firth in 1930-1931, and the information thus gained has been very kindly placed at my disposal partly
by Mr. Firth and partly by Mr. Quibell, with the approval of M. Lacau (Director-General of the Depart-
ment of Antiquities). These tombs are hereafter referred to under the abbreviation ‘FS’, followed by a
number. This archaic cemetery, the most important in Egypt for the history of the tomb development
of Dyn. I-VI, began in, or before, the reign of Zer. Dyn. I was represented by a line of large mastabas
along the eastern edge of the plateau, of which six have now been uncovered (QS 2185, QS 2105, FS 3035,
FS 3036, FS 3038, and FS 3041). Behind this line of First Dynasty tombs runs an irregular series of
tombs of Dyn. II, merging on the west into groups of tombs of Dyn. HI.
Twelve large tombs in the second line of the cemetery are of type IV A (1), deep underground stair-
way with a complex of chambers cut in the solid rock—one in Cemetery QS 2100, seven in Cemetery
QS 2300, three in Cemetery QS 2400, and two in Cemetery FS 3000. Interspersed among these tombs,
especially in Cemetery QS 2300, are smaller tombs of the type IV A (2) with single chambers, and
a few tombs of types IV B (1) and IV B (2), which appear to be later. Three of these large tombs of
type IV A (1) (QS 2171, 2302, and 2498) were dated by clay sealings to the reign of Netery-muw, third
king of the dynasty, probably the predecessor of Peribsen. One other tomb of lesser size, QS 2322,
contained a mud seal impression on which the name of Neb-ka was doubtfully read. This latter tomb
and eight others are of the type IV A (1), and appear to be also of Dyn. II—QS 2322, 2307, 2337, 2313,
2315, 2452, 2406, FS 3042 and 3031. These mastabas are all large filled C.b. mastabas with two niches,
ranging in area from 206 sq. m. (QS 2315) to 1,913 sq. m. (QS. 2171). The elaboration of the ground
TOMB TYPES OF DYNASTY II
other galleries branching from the main entrance passage under the pyramid. The form and construc-
tion of the pyramid make it plausible that it was the work of Dyn. II. The underground passages cut in
the rock are clearly to be grouped with the deep rock-cut stairway tombs of Saqqarah dated to Dyn. II,
and I would mark this substructure as type RT IV. The important graves on the plateau to the north
were of Dyn. I, II, and III. The mastabas of Dyn. Ill had bowls inscribed with the name of the
Horus Kha-bauw, who has not been identified with any king known to the lists. The pyramid is
certainly later than Dyn. I and it may be that the owner or builder was of the family represented by the
cemetery of Dyn. I. The tombs of Dyn. II were all small, and for that reason I formerly ascribed the
pyramid to Dyn. III. But if the tomb was never used, as appears probable, the lack of important tombs
of Dyn. II is explained. The identification of the builder remains obscure and the site of his final
burial-place is probably yet undiscovered. The name, the Horus Kha-bauw, gives us no clue to the
identity of that king. Nevertheless, I place this pyramid as a type of Dyn. II which was used at Memphis
in the period of the open trench tombs of Abydos. It is only possible of development in the Memphite
area. Whether it gave the pattern for the private rock-cut tombs or arose out of the same technical
development as those tombs, it certainly belongs by its place and form to this same archaeological
group. It may be remembered that in the enclosure of the Zoser pyramid Firth found similar galleries
with magazines also cut in the rock. See also the gallery under the enclosure of the Unas Pyramid
(Barsanti, Annales, II, p. 250; Firth, Annales, XXX, p. 187).
b. Saqqarah Tombs of Type IV of Dynasty II
At Saqqarah, during the latter part of Dyn. I, the open-pit substructure with wooden or stone roof
was cut down from the surface of the rock with only the small magazines excavated in the rock. In
Dyn. II this open-pit type was replaced almost entirely by deep underground burial-chambers hollowed
out of the solid limestone. The material at present comes chiefly from Quibell’s Archaic Mastabas,
here referred to as ‘QS’ (see Figs. 58, 59). Other tombs in this cemetery were excavated by Mr. C. M.
Firth in 1930-1931, and the information thus gained has been very kindly placed at my disposal partly
by Mr. Firth and partly by Mr. Quibell, with the approval of M. Lacau (Director-General of the Depart-
ment of Antiquities). These tombs are hereafter referred to under the abbreviation ‘FS’, followed by a
number. This archaic cemetery, the most important in Egypt for the history of the tomb development
of Dyn. I-VI, began in, or before, the reign of Zer. Dyn. I was represented by a line of large mastabas
along the eastern edge of the plateau, of which six have now been uncovered (QS 2185, QS 2105, FS 3035,
FS 3036, FS 3038, and FS 3041). Behind this line of First Dynasty tombs runs an irregular series of
tombs of Dyn. II, merging on the west into groups of tombs of Dyn. HI.
Twelve large tombs in the second line of the cemetery are of type IV A (1), deep underground stair-
way with a complex of chambers cut in the solid rock—one in Cemetery QS 2100, seven in Cemetery
QS 2300, three in Cemetery QS 2400, and two in Cemetery FS 3000. Interspersed among these tombs,
especially in Cemetery QS 2300, are smaller tombs of the type IV A (2) with single chambers, and
a few tombs of types IV B (1) and IV B (2), which appear to be later. Three of these large tombs of
type IV A (1) (QS 2171, 2302, and 2498) were dated by clay sealings to the reign of Netery-muw, third
king of the dynasty, probably the predecessor of Peribsen. One other tomb of lesser size, QS 2322,
contained a mud seal impression on which the name of Neb-ka was doubtfully read. This latter tomb
and eight others are of the type IV A (1), and appear to be also of Dyn. II—QS 2322, 2307, 2337, 2313,
2315, 2452, 2406, FS 3042 and 3031. These mastabas are all large filled C.b. mastabas with two niches,
ranging in area from 206 sq. m. (QS 2315) to 1,913 sq. m. (QS. 2171). The elaboration of the ground