DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0275
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURES OF PRIVATE TOMBS: DYN. I-III, AND SNEFERUW 239
to the early part of the reign of Zer, with the reign of Narmer as the most probable date. From the
reign of Narmer we have no other dated superstructure, but the subsidiary cemetery B at Abydos,
including the five great royal tombs on the west, is so spaced and arranged that the appearance is exactly
like that of later cemeteries with grave-mastabas arranged on a unified plan. I cannot admit any other
conclusion than that every one of the graves in Cemetery B had a mastaba-like superstructure of c.b.
As will be shown below, the two-niche type of small mastabas is fully established for Dyn. II and III.
No example has been found of a large superstructure, which can be dated certainly to the reign of
Menes. But it is clear from the evidence of the substructures of that reign that the Egyptians had
already the necessary knowledge of brick-work to construct in the reign of Menes mastabas of the forms
known a little later. I am of the opinion that c.b. mastabas were built in the reign of Menes of both
large and small sizes, that every large tomb of that time had a mastaba, and that, while some of the
more important small graves had small mastabas, many other small graves had only a dome of consoli-
dated filling showing above the ground.
a. The Small Two-niched Mastabas at Tarkhan of Dynasty I
Fortunately, at Tarkhan, Petrie and Wainwright have recovered seven small graves of Dyn. I which
had superstructures of a very primitive type. These graves were all of the simple unlined pit type with
contracted burials and the pottery and stone vessels of Dyn. I. On the surface the grave is surrounded
by a low c.b. wall which was filled with gravel (?). At one end, on the east or the west side according
to the position of the grave in the cemetery, a simple open-air chapel was enclosed by another low wall
of c.b. with a doorway. In the wall of the mastaba within the chapel two slots (offering niches: &«-doors)
passed through the wall of the mastaba.
Tarkhan:
740: broad oval pit; no body. Petrie’s date S.D. 78. Pl. XIV.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Pit .
i-2 m.
0-65 m.
i/i-8
0-7 sq. m.
Depth: x-8 m.
Mastaba .
3-12 m.
2-27 m.
i/x-8
7-0 sq. m.
Relation of pit
to mastaba: 1/io
Chapel on east, doorway
on south; see
Fig. 126:
Inside
1-36 m.
1’45 m-
1-97 sq. m.
852: rounded rectangular pit; contracted skeleton, head north, face away from offering niches. Pls.
XIV, XXXVII. Petrie, S.D. 78.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Pit .
2T m.
i-2 m.
1/17
2-5 sq. m.
Depth: x-6 m.
Mastaba .
3-0 m.
2-2 m.
1/1-4
6-5 sq. m.
Relation: 1/2-6
Chapel on west; doorway
on north;
see Fig. 126:
Inside
0-9 m.
o-8 m.
0-72 sq. m.
oval pit; no body; mastaba built against rock-scarp; Petrie S.D.
77. Pl. XIV.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Pit .
2-0 m.
0-95 m.
1/2-1
1-9 sq. m.
Mastaba .
3'5 m-
2-7 m.
i/i-3
9-4 sq. m.
Relation: 1/6-2
Chapel on east, doorway on south; see Fig. 126:
Inside
0-9 m.
0’35 m.
0-31 sq. m.
to the early part of the reign of Zer, with the reign of Narmer as the most probable date. From the
reign of Narmer we have no other dated superstructure, but the subsidiary cemetery B at Abydos,
including the five great royal tombs on the west, is so spaced and arranged that the appearance is exactly
like that of later cemeteries with grave-mastabas arranged on a unified plan. I cannot admit any other
conclusion than that every one of the graves in Cemetery B had a mastaba-like superstructure of c.b.
As will be shown below, the two-niche type of small mastabas is fully established for Dyn. II and III.
No example has been found of a large superstructure, which can be dated certainly to the reign of
Menes. But it is clear from the evidence of the substructures of that reign that the Egyptians had
already the necessary knowledge of brick-work to construct in the reign of Menes mastabas of the forms
known a little later. I am of the opinion that c.b. mastabas were built in the reign of Menes of both
large and small sizes, that every large tomb of that time had a mastaba, and that, while some of the
more important small graves had small mastabas, many other small graves had only a dome of consoli-
dated filling showing above the ground.
a. The Small Two-niched Mastabas at Tarkhan of Dynasty I
Fortunately, at Tarkhan, Petrie and Wainwright have recovered seven small graves of Dyn. I which
had superstructures of a very primitive type. These graves were all of the simple unlined pit type with
contracted burials and the pottery and stone vessels of Dyn. I. On the surface the grave is surrounded
by a low c.b. wall which was filled with gravel (?). At one end, on the east or the west side according
to the position of the grave in the cemetery, a simple open-air chapel was enclosed by another low wall
of c.b. with a doorway. In the wall of the mastaba within the chapel two slots (offering niches: &«-doors)
passed through the wall of the mastaba.
Tarkhan:
740: broad oval pit; no body. Petrie’s date S.D. 78. Pl. XIV.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Pit .
i-2 m.
0-65 m.
i/i-8
0-7 sq. m.
Depth: x-8 m.
Mastaba .
3-12 m.
2-27 m.
i/x-8
7-0 sq. m.
Relation of pit
to mastaba: 1/io
Chapel on east, doorway
on south; see
Fig. 126:
Inside
1-36 m.
1’45 m-
1-97 sq. m.
852: rounded rectangular pit; contracted skeleton, head north, face away from offering niches. Pls.
XIV, XXXVII. Petrie, S.D. 78.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Pit .
2T m.
i-2 m.
1/17
2-5 sq. m.
Depth: x-6 m.
Mastaba .
3-0 m.
2-2 m.
1/1-4
6-5 sq. m.
Relation: 1/2-6
Chapel on west; doorway
on north;
see Fig. 126:
Inside
0-9 m.
o-8 m.
0-72 sq. m.
oval pit; no body; mastaba built against rock-scarp; Petrie S.D.
77. Pl. XIV.
Measurements:
N-S
E-W
Prop.
Area
Pit .
2-0 m.
0-95 m.
1/2-1
1-9 sq. m.
Mastaba .
3'5 m-
2-7 m.
i/i-3
9-4 sq. m.
Relation: 1/6-2
Chapel on east, doorway on south; see Fig. 126:
Inside
0-9 m.
0’35 m.
0-31 sq. m.