DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0350
3*4
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ROYAL SUPERSTRUCTURES OF DYNASTIES I-II
associated (perhaps man and two wives), which represents relations natural in raff-burials. On this
reconstruction with one mastaba the larger spaces between the ends of the mastabas make no difficulties
whatever, and the more intimate contact of 4 a and b means nothing in the one-mastaba reconstruction.
If the single long mastaba be accepted it may be presumed that the north end of the mastaba was
alined with the north end of mastaba B 14 and the south end with the south end of mastaba B 6, thus
making the mastabas of rows 1-4 of the uniform length of 17-1 m.—the same length as the joint mastaba
B 6 and B 14. All the other rows could be reconstructed in a similar manner except row 6, in which
grave c lies far out of line to the east. The reconstruction of a single long mastaba, covering sati-
burials, is out of the question for this row, which may have had the graves a and b covered by a single
mastaba, but c with a separate superstructure. This fact casts a certain doubt on the theory of a single
mastaba covering each row.
It is of course possible to conceive of the long single mastaba covering each row, as having been built
in three sections. The end or ends of the later mastaba would have been over the slightly sloping side or
sides of the earlier mastaba or mastabas. The only difference between this reconstruction and the other
long mastaba is that the burials could have been made separately and need not to have been raff-burials
The difference in the sizes of the graves could have meant little in the expense of excavating and construct-
ing the graves, but was certainly significant of the relative importance of the persons buried in the graves.
The alternative of the single long mastaba covering each row is the single mastaba covering each
grave. In this case the minimum is a mastaba practically coincident with the outline of the grave.
The average space between rows 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 is 2-26 m. with a minimum of 2 m.
This space would allow for either a one-room chapel of the Tarkhan form, or a corridor chapel in front
of each mastaba, leaving a narrow passage behind each mastaba by which access could be gained to
the separate chapels. The entrance was from the north or south for each chapel. The Tarkhan mastabas
had no enclosing wall, according to the published report, and it may be that the individual mastabas in
Cemetery B were also without this feature. The enclosing wall was not used for the individual mastabas
of the great Cheops Cemetery, arranged in rows like the Narmer Cemetery, but some of the mastabas
added later in the Eastern Cemetery at Giza (Cem. G 7000) had enclosing walls on two or three sides
(see G 7550, Duwa-ne-hor). But the enclosing wall was usual in the great provincial tombs with
palace-facade mastaba, the Naqadah tomb, Giza V, N 1506, and N 1581. It also occurs in some
small mastabas at Naga-ed-Der in Mace’s cemetery of Dyn. II—III. Modifications occur in this
cemetery and in the Archaic Cemetery at Saqqarah, in which the crowding together did not leave room
for complete enclosing walls.
The reconstruction of the superstructures of each row of graves as long mastabas
leads to the
following:
Mastaba
Incr. over
Space
N-S
E-W
substr.
Prop.
Area
on E
B 6 + B 14 .
17T m.
7‘3 m-
i-o m.
1/2-55
124-8 sq. m.
i-o m.
Row 1 .
17-1 m.
4-1 m.
0-3 m.
1/4-1
70-1 sq. m.
0’95 m-
Row 2 .
17-1 m.
4-05 m.
0-3 m.
1/4-2
68-95 scl- m-
i-2 m.
Row 3 .
. 17-1 m.
3’8 m.
0-3 m.
1/4'5
64-98 sq. m.
i-o m.
Row 4 .
17-1 m.
4-1 m.
0-4 m.
1/4-1
70-1 sq. m.
1-5-2 m.
Row 5 .
17*1 m.
3'7 m-
0-5 m.
1/4-6
63-27 sq. m.
1-4 (3-1) m.
Row 6 .
17-1 m.
4-0 m.
0-5 m.
I/4-27
65-96 sq. m.
1-3 (o-o) m.
(n-o +
(3-6 m.)
(0-3 m.)
(I/2-75)
(44-0 +
(o-o m).
6-i m.)
(I/I'7)
21-96 sq. m.)
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE ROYAL SUPERSTRUCTURES OF DYNASTIES I-II
associated (perhaps man and two wives), which represents relations natural in raff-burials. On this
reconstruction with one mastaba the larger spaces between the ends of the mastabas make no difficulties
whatever, and the more intimate contact of 4 a and b means nothing in the one-mastaba reconstruction.
If the single long mastaba be accepted it may be presumed that the north end of the mastaba was
alined with the north end of mastaba B 14 and the south end with the south end of mastaba B 6, thus
making the mastabas of rows 1-4 of the uniform length of 17-1 m.—the same length as the joint mastaba
B 6 and B 14. All the other rows could be reconstructed in a similar manner except row 6, in which
grave c lies far out of line to the east. The reconstruction of a single long mastaba, covering sati-
burials, is out of the question for this row, which may have had the graves a and b covered by a single
mastaba, but c with a separate superstructure. This fact casts a certain doubt on the theory of a single
mastaba covering each row.
It is of course possible to conceive of the long single mastaba covering each row, as having been built
in three sections. The end or ends of the later mastaba would have been over the slightly sloping side or
sides of the earlier mastaba or mastabas. The only difference between this reconstruction and the other
long mastaba is that the burials could have been made separately and need not to have been raff-burials
The difference in the sizes of the graves could have meant little in the expense of excavating and construct-
ing the graves, but was certainly significant of the relative importance of the persons buried in the graves.
The alternative of the single long mastaba covering each row is the single mastaba covering each
grave. In this case the minimum is a mastaba practically coincident with the outline of the grave.
The average space between rows 1 and 2, 2 and 3, and 3 and 4 is 2-26 m. with a minimum of 2 m.
This space would allow for either a one-room chapel of the Tarkhan form, or a corridor chapel in front
of each mastaba, leaving a narrow passage behind each mastaba by which access could be gained to
the separate chapels. The entrance was from the north or south for each chapel. The Tarkhan mastabas
had no enclosing wall, according to the published report, and it may be that the individual mastabas in
Cemetery B were also without this feature. The enclosing wall was not used for the individual mastabas
of the great Cheops Cemetery, arranged in rows like the Narmer Cemetery, but some of the mastabas
added later in the Eastern Cemetery at Giza (Cem. G 7000) had enclosing walls on two or three sides
(see G 7550, Duwa-ne-hor). But the enclosing wall was usual in the great provincial tombs with
palace-facade mastaba, the Naqadah tomb, Giza V, N 1506, and N 1581. It also occurs in some
small mastabas at Naga-ed-Der in Mace’s cemetery of Dyn. II—III. Modifications occur in this
cemetery and in the Archaic Cemetery at Saqqarah, in which the crowding together did not leave room
for complete enclosing walls.
The reconstruction of the superstructures of each row of graves as long mastabas
leads to the
following:
Mastaba
Incr. over
Space
N-S
E-W
substr.
Prop.
Area
on E
B 6 + B 14 .
17T m.
7‘3 m-
i-o m.
1/2-55
124-8 sq. m.
i-o m.
Row 1 .
17-1 m.
4-1 m.
0-3 m.
1/4-1
70-1 sq. m.
0’95 m-
Row 2 .
17-1 m.
4-05 m.
0-3 m.
1/4-2
68-95 scl- m-
i-2 m.
Row 3 .
. 17-1 m.
3’8 m.
0-3 m.
1/4'5
64-98 sq. m.
i-o m.
Row 4 .
17-1 m.
4-1 m.
0-4 m.
1/4-1
70-1 sq. m.
1-5-2 m.
Row 5 .
17*1 m.
3'7 m-
0-5 m.
1/4-6
63-27 sq. m.
1-4 (3-1) m.
Row 6 .
17-1 m.
4-0 m.
0-5 m.
I/4-27
65-96 sq. m.
1-3 (o-o) m.
(n-o +
(3-6 m.)
(0-3 m.)
(I/2-75)
(44-0 +
(o-o m).
6-i m.)
(I/I'7)
21-96 sq. m.)