Mastabas

The Mastaba in Egyptian architecture is a sepulchral structure built aboveground. The Mastabas of the early dynastic period (3200–2680 B.C.), such as those of the I dynasty at Saqqara, were elaborate, having many storage or offering compartments, and were quite evidently close copies of contemporary houses. Better known are the Mastabas of the Old Kingdom, which were an elaboration of the Pre-Dynastic Period burial-pit and mound form. The typical Mastaba was generally rectangular in plan with a flat roof and inward-sloping walls, built of brick and faced with limestone slabs. Relatively low, rectangular structure This structure was favored as funerary monument from the Early Dynastic Period on. Originally, the Mastaba was built above a shaft at the bottom of which was situated a tomb. As the Egyptian craftsmanship increased, the Mastabas became more elaborate, housing funerary chapels, shrines and offering tables where the cult for the deceased was held. In contrast to their royal counterparts, the pyramids, which were left undecorated, the Old Kingdom Mastabas offer us a variety of texts and images, illustrating scenes from the daily life of the deceased, offering scenes and ritual hunt scenes. The Mastaba of Mereruka is the largest in Saqqara. It has 32 rooms. Mereruka was the Vizier to Teti I, who was Pharaoh during the 6th Dynasty. He was also married to Teti's daughter, Hert-watet-khet. She is buried in the Mastaba as well as their son, Meriteti. The paintings on the wall in the entrance show Mereruka painting the seasons and playing a board game. The first three chambers are painted with scenes of furniture making, hunting and goldsmith working. There is a sacrificial chamber at the far end of the Mastaba with six pillars. In this chamber a statue of Mereruka was found intact. Hert-watet-khet's, Mereruka's wife, rooms are on the western side of the Mastaba. Even after the Pharaohs began to be buried in pyramids, other royal officials were still interred in Mastabas, usually around the site of the pyramid.