DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0325
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUPERSTRUCTURES OF PRIVATE TOMBS: DYN. I-III, AND SNEFERUW 289
bars (see also stone niche of Kha-bauw-sokar, Fig. 160). In the plain A«-door, above the cross-bar,
which projects slightly from the surface of the wall, is set a tablet which also projects from the wall,
although not so far as the cross-bar, leaving a narrow depressed space at each side. In the great Az-door
the back of the outer recess continues upward above the cross-bar or cross-bars, and is crossed at
intervals of no great height by three or four horizontal beams projecting slightly from the brickwork
with the apparent purpose of protecting the panelling below from being crushed by the weight of the
superimposed brickwork. In the later representations these horizontal beams are painted red to repre-
sent wood, and in the Hesy-ra mastaba Quibell found diagonal wooden pegs apparently used to fasten
one of these beams or the roofing of the outer niche at a height of ‘over two metres’. In the later
stone examples the wall spaces between these beams are elaborately decorated in colours with various
patterns, mat patterns and others not to be easily interpreted. In the plain compound niche both the
later and the earlier examples, now preserved to us only in stone, show an architrave covering the
whole niche and obviously representing the edge of the wooden roofing of the outer recess in c.b.
niches. It seems necessary to assume a similar roofing of the outer recess of the great &£Z-door, also
terminating on the outside in a wooden architrave projecting slightly from the brickwork. Although
the evidence is not quite clear, the intervening panel with its three niches seems also to have been
covered with a wooden architrave at the same height as that of the great door, giving the whole the
appearance of a continuous wooden band running the length of the panelling. Above the architrave,
or the band of architraves, the brickwork continued to the top of the mastaba (perhaps 2 or 3 m.) in
the older mastabas with palace-facade panelling on all four sides, and in the later mastabas with panelling
on the eastern facade only. In the case of Hesy-ra the interior corridor chapel was roofed with wood,
with E-W beams resting on the wooden architrave. In the case of mastabas like Kha-bauw-sokar with
a roofed exterior chapel, the roofing beams of the chapel were probably inserted in the brickwork of
the mastaba, also just above the wooden architrave. In the panelling of the east face of Giza T, Dow
Covington (see Annales, VI, pp. 9-10) found evidence of the existence of wooden drums over the inner
niches of five of the great doors. In two cases the drum was found at a height of 2-35 m. above the
floor of the recess. The back of the recess showed for 21 cm. above the drum. On the western facade,
in one great door, a wooden drum was found at the top of each of the subsidiary niches flanking the
inner recess on the back of the outer recess. In Kha-bauw-sokar the wooden drum in the great
/?<2-doors of the facade was replaced by a stone drum, of which one was found still set in the brickwork
and another in the debris, and these were painted red. Thus the great difference between the great
Aa-door and the plain ^a-door of compound niche form lies in the representation above the cross-bar
on the back of the outer niche.
The decoration of the palace-fagade panelling of the mastabas of Dyn. I appears not to have been
recorded in any case, although all of them had a coating of white plaster laid over the mud plaster
similar to the white surfaces of the later panelling with painted decorations. The best preserved
example of painted palace-facade panelling is that in the interior corridor chapel of Hesy-ra (see Quibell,
Hesy-ra, pls. IV, 2, VIII, IX). Here the wooden panel at the back of the inner recess of the great A«-door
was carved in relief (painted in colours as usual), but all other surfaces appear to have been simply
painted. The painting of the sides of the great niche and those of the small niches (including facade
niches) is not recorded in plates VIII and IX. The sides of the large inner niche were found destroyed
in many cases by the removal of the wooden panels. A photograph (pl. IV, 2) shows that the side faces
of the outer recess of the supplementary panel niches were painted with the chain pattern, black and
white on a green background, shown on the adjoining backs of the same recess on plate IX. The two
pP
bars (see also stone niche of Kha-bauw-sokar, Fig. 160). In the plain A«-door, above the cross-bar,
which projects slightly from the surface of the wall, is set a tablet which also projects from the wall,
although not so far as the cross-bar, leaving a narrow depressed space at each side. In the great Az-door
the back of the outer recess continues upward above the cross-bar or cross-bars, and is crossed at
intervals of no great height by three or four horizontal beams projecting slightly from the brickwork
with the apparent purpose of protecting the panelling below from being crushed by the weight of the
superimposed brickwork. In the later representations these horizontal beams are painted red to repre-
sent wood, and in the Hesy-ra mastaba Quibell found diagonal wooden pegs apparently used to fasten
one of these beams or the roofing of the outer niche at a height of ‘over two metres’. In the later
stone examples the wall spaces between these beams are elaborately decorated in colours with various
patterns, mat patterns and others not to be easily interpreted. In the plain compound niche both the
later and the earlier examples, now preserved to us only in stone, show an architrave covering the
whole niche and obviously representing the edge of the wooden roofing of the outer recess in c.b.
niches. It seems necessary to assume a similar roofing of the outer recess of the great &£Z-door, also
terminating on the outside in a wooden architrave projecting slightly from the brickwork. Although
the evidence is not quite clear, the intervening panel with its three niches seems also to have been
covered with a wooden architrave at the same height as that of the great door, giving the whole the
appearance of a continuous wooden band running the length of the panelling. Above the architrave,
or the band of architraves, the brickwork continued to the top of the mastaba (perhaps 2 or 3 m.) in
the older mastabas with palace-facade panelling on all four sides, and in the later mastabas with panelling
on the eastern facade only. In the case of Hesy-ra the interior corridor chapel was roofed with wood,
with E-W beams resting on the wooden architrave. In the case of mastabas like Kha-bauw-sokar with
a roofed exterior chapel, the roofing beams of the chapel were probably inserted in the brickwork of
the mastaba, also just above the wooden architrave. In the panelling of the east face of Giza T, Dow
Covington (see Annales, VI, pp. 9-10) found evidence of the existence of wooden drums over the inner
niches of five of the great doors. In two cases the drum was found at a height of 2-35 m. above the
floor of the recess. The back of the recess showed for 21 cm. above the drum. On the western facade,
in one great door, a wooden drum was found at the top of each of the subsidiary niches flanking the
inner recess on the back of the outer recess. In Kha-bauw-sokar the wooden drum in the great
/?<2-doors of the facade was replaced by a stone drum, of which one was found still set in the brickwork
and another in the debris, and these were painted red. Thus the great difference between the great
Aa-door and the plain ^a-door of compound niche form lies in the representation above the cross-bar
on the back of the outer niche.
The decoration of the palace-fagade panelling of the mastabas of Dyn. I appears not to have been
recorded in any case, although all of them had a coating of white plaster laid over the mud plaster
similar to the white surfaces of the later panelling with painted decorations. The best preserved
example of painted palace-facade panelling is that in the interior corridor chapel of Hesy-ra (see Quibell,
Hesy-ra, pls. IV, 2, VIII, IX). Here the wooden panel at the back of the inner recess of the great A«-door
was carved in relief (painted in colours as usual), but all other surfaces appear to have been simply
painted. The painting of the sides of the great niche and those of the small niches (including facade
niches) is not recorded in plates VIII and IX. The sides of the large inner niche were found destroyed
in many cases by the removal of the wooden panels. A photograph (pl. IV, 2) shows that the side faces
of the outer recess of the supplementary panel niches were painted with the chain pattern, black and
white on a green background, shown on the adjoining backs of the same recess on plate IX. The two
pP