Mastaba Tombs

A mastaba tomb is a rectangular building with a flat roof and sloping sides. Wealthy Egyptians and Pharaohs were buried in these tombs in ancient Egypt during the old kingdom and before. The first instance of a pyramid in Egypt is actually the step pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara. It was made by stacking mastabas on top of one another, each one getting smaller. Hundreds of mastaba tombs surround the pyramids at Giza, as shown in the picture above. Over the years, many have been looted, but there are still many artifacts and valuable information. Click on the link below and explore a mastaba tomb with a friend. http://www.mfa.org/egypt/explore_ancient_egypt/arch_virt.html

In your sketchbook, answer the following questions:

1. Name the parts of a mastaba tomb.

2. Why did Egyptian architects include a false door in the entrance of the mastaba?

3. What is a ka?

4. Why do you think the burial chamber was made so far underground, and not in the actual mastaba itself?

5. Write down any observations about the art found in the tomb.

6. Follow the link and look at the map of the Giza complex. Why do you think there are so many mastaba tombs surrounding the three main pyramids? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Giza_pyramid_complex_(map).svg