DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49512#0428
392
APPENDIX C
There are many points of interest that stand out when one is able to review the Saqqarah mastabas in their topo-
graphical relationship. Chief among these is a remarkable uniformity of chapel types in neighbouring groups of tombs.
On the small scale at which the map must be reproduced it is impossible to indicate this. In the northern part of the
cemetery, leaving out of consideration the ‘Archaic Cemetery’, there is a very large percentage of chapels of modified
cruciform type, often with palace-facade panelling on the west wall. In the group behind FS 3071 + 3072, four of the nine
chapels are of this type, although one (B 16 — No. 15) is possibly of true cruciform type. The other five mastabas show
a diversity of chapel types. One was destroyed, one had a short corridor chapel with two niches (No. 13 = D 44),
No. 11 = D 43 contained a multiple-roomed chapel, while No. 12 = B 12 had a sort of deep recess with an exterior
protecting wall of curious shape. No. 8 = C 2 had three niches in the face of the mastaba.
The chapels of the mastabas on the far western knoll (Nos. 1-4) were apparently all of cruciform or modified cruciform
type, although one is almost entirely demolished. The tombs in the low ground north of the central strip excavated by
Mariette present a series of chapels mainly of two types, a multiple-roomed chapel usually entered from the north,
and a form which consists of a corridor or vestibule opening into an east-west offering-room. In the central strip,
running from the Abusir track to the tomb of Thiy, there are thirteen chapels of modified cruciform type, according to
Mariette’s plans and the Survey Map. Five of these have the west wall ornamented with palace-facade panelling. In
this group also occurs a short corridor chapel with entrance at the north end of the east wall, resembling the L-shaped
chapels at Giza. There are at least four examples of this form. Two mastabas, close together, Nos. 36 and 40, have an
exterior one-roomed c.b. chapel around the southern niche with a recess for statues in the south wall. There are a
number of multiple-roomed chapels, the tomb of Thiy representing that type with pillared hall. Two true cruciform
chapels occur at the south-eastern end of the group and are obviously earlier than most of the other mastabas. One, the
tomb of Methen (L 6), has been dated to the early part of the Fourth Dynasty, and the other, No. 71 (B 1 = Thenty),
was probably built later in that dynasty, as the owner is a hm ntr of Cheops.
Among the chapels on the ridge south of the northern cemetery are two modified cruciform chapels (Nos. 73 and
75). The large mastaba of Pehenuwka has an open court and an elaborate series of serdabs and offering-rooms, the
southern of which has the modified cruciform shape and resembles that of No. 73. Two other mastabas have multiple-
roomed chapels, one of these of the type with corridor and east-west offering-room. The Sixth Dynasty mastabas north
of the pyramid of Tety are characterized by multiple-roomed chapels usually with pillared hall and filling almost the
whole interior of the superstructure (in contrast to Thiy, where the area of the rooms actually in the interior of the
mastaba is small compared to the chapel space added against the east face of the tomb). The long line of tombs border-
ing the northern enclosure wall of the Step Pyramid is distinguished by a large percentage of the short corridor chapels
that resemble the Giza L-shaped form. There are four of these, one the chapel of a queen, possibly the wife of Isesy,
and one that of a prince, perhaps her son. The other chapels in this line are of multiple-roomed type, usually
with E-W offering-room. The Tomb of Ra-shepses (L 16) has a more complicated arrangement with court and
pillared hall.
West of the Step Pyramid, the group of tombs (D 62, 63, 64) which includes that of Ptah-hetep and Akhet-hetep
has chapels of the multiple-roomed type, apparently formed by offering-rooms inside the mastaba and a pillared hall
built on the east, as in the case of the pillared hall of Thiy or the court of Pehenuwka. Usually there are additional
rooms and serdabs. I have assumed that the group began with D 62, the owner of which seems to be the father of
Akhet-hetep. This was followed by the tombs of Akhet-hetep and his son Ptah-hetep, both in the same mastaba
(D 64). The mastaba of Itety (D 63) was the last of the three to be built. The inner room of Akhet-hetep has an
unusual T-shaped plan. Two other mastabas (D 59 and D 60) have chapels of unusual type—a long east-west
corridor at the southern end of the mastaba, with entrance in the east wall. Both are decorated with scenes from life
of a similar type and both date from the reign of Neuserra or a little later.
East of the Step Pyramid, a common type of chapel is a long corridor, sometimes with a second parallel corridor,
or with an interior offering-room of modified cruciform or short corridor form. There is one chapel with one room of
modified cruciform type (D 55) and another of short corridor form (D 46). E 10, the position of which is uncertain like
so many tombs in this group, has a chapel cut in the rock (one of two recorded by Mariette) with a series of statues
in niches cut in the rock. The owner of the tomb was a hm ntr of the pyramid of Menkauw-Hor. South of the Step
Pyramid are a number of multiple-roomed chapels of Dynasty VI type which fill the interior of the superstructure.
There are two short corridor chapels, one near the south-east corner of the enclosure wall, and one west of the Unas
APPENDIX C
There are many points of interest that stand out when one is able to review the Saqqarah mastabas in their topo-
graphical relationship. Chief among these is a remarkable uniformity of chapel types in neighbouring groups of tombs.
On the small scale at which the map must be reproduced it is impossible to indicate this. In the northern part of the
cemetery, leaving out of consideration the ‘Archaic Cemetery’, there is a very large percentage of chapels of modified
cruciform type, often with palace-facade panelling on the west wall. In the group behind FS 3071 + 3072, four of the nine
chapels are of this type, although one (B 16 — No. 15) is possibly of true cruciform type. The other five mastabas show
a diversity of chapel types. One was destroyed, one had a short corridor chapel with two niches (No. 13 = D 44),
No. 11 = D 43 contained a multiple-roomed chapel, while No. 12 = B 12 had a sort of deep recess with an exterior
protecting wall of curious shape. No. 8 = C 2 had three niches in the face of the mastaba.
The chapels of the mastabas on the far western knoll (Nos. 1-4) were apparently all of cruciform or modified cruciform
type, although one is almost entirely demolished. The tombs in the low ground north of the central strip excavated by
Mariette present a series of chapels mainly of two types, a multiple-roomed chapel usually entered from the north,
and a form which consists of a corridor or vestibule opening into an east-west offering-room. In the central strip,
running from the Abusir track to the tomb of Thiy, there are thirteen chapels of modified cruciform type, according to
Mariette’s plans and the Survey Map. Five of these have the west wall ornamented with palace-facade panelling. In
this group also occurs a short corridor chapel with entrance at the north end of the east wall, resembling the L-shaped
chapels at Giza. There are at least four examples of this form. Two mastabas, close together, Nos. 36 and 40, have an
exterior one-roomed c.b. chapel around the southern niche with a recess for statues in the south wall. There are a
number of multiple-roomed chapels, the tomb of Thiy representing that type with pillared hall. Two true cruciform
chapels occur at the south-eastern end of the group and are obviously earlier than most of the other mastabas. One, the
tomb of Methen (L 6), has been dated to the early part of the Fourth Dynasty, and the other, No. 71 (B 1 = Thenty),
was probably built later in that dynasty, as the owner is a hm ntr of Cheops.
Among the chapels on the ridge south of the northern cemetery are two modified cruciform chapels (Nos. 73 and
75). The large mastaba of Pehenuwka has an open court and an elaborate series of serdabs and offering-rooms, the
southern of which has the modified cruciform shape and resembles that of No. 73. Two other mastabas have multiple-
roomed chapels, one of these of the type with corridor and east-west offering-room. The Sixth Dynasty mastabas north
of the pyramid of Tety are characterized by multiple-roomed chapels usually with pillared hall and filling almost the
whole interior of the superstructure (in contrast to Thiy, where the area of the rooms actually in the interior of the
mastaba is small compared to the chapel space added against the east face of the tomb). The long line of tombs border-
ing the northern enclosure wall of the Step Pyramid is distinguished by a large percentage of the short corridor chapels
that resemble the Giza L-shaped form. There are four of these, one the chapel of a queen, possibly the wife of Isesy,
and one that of a prince, perhaps her son. The other chapels in this line are of multiple-roomed type, usually
with E-W offering-room. The Tomb of Ra-shepses (L 16) has a more complicated arrangement with court and
pillared hall.
West of the Step Pyramid, the group of tombs (D 62, 63, 64) which includes that of Ptah-hetep and Akhet-hetep
has chapels of the multiple-roomed type, apparently formed by offering-rooms inside the mastaba and a pillared hall
built on the east, as in the case of the pillared hall of Thiy or the court of Pehenuwka. Usually there are additional
rooms and serdabs. I have assumed that the group began with D 62, the owner of which seems to be the father of
Akhet-hetep. This was followed by the tombs of Akhet-hetep and his son Ptah-hetep, both in the same mastaba
(D 64). The mastaba of Itety (D 63) was the last of the three to be built. The inner room of Akhet-hetep has an
unusual T-shaped plan. Two other mastabas (D 59 and D 60) have chapels of unusual type—a long east-west
corridor at the southern end of the mastaba, with entrance in the east wall. Both are decorated with scenes from life
of a similar type and both date from the reign of Neuserra or a little later.
East of the Step Pyramid, a common type of chapel is a long corridor, sometimes with a second parallel corridor,
or with an interior offering-room of modified cruciform or short corridor form. There is one chapel with one room of
modified cruciform type (D 55) and another of short corridor form (D 46). E 10, the position of which is uncertain like
so many tombs in this group, has a chapel cut in the rock (one of two recorded by Mariette) with a series of statues
in niches cut in the rock. The owner of the tomb was a hm ntr of the pyramid of Menkauw-Hor. South of the Step
Pyramid are a number of multiple-roomed chapels of Dynasty VI type which fill the interior of the superstructure.
There are two short corridor chapels, one near the south-east corner of the enclosure wall, and one west of the Unas