Mastaba
Flat-roofed, sloping-sided tomb of ancient Egypt.
A mastaba is a type of ancient Egyptian tomb in the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward sloping sides, constructed out of mudbricks or limestone. These edifices marked the burial sites of many eminent Egyptians during Egypt's Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom, and non-royal use of mastabas continued for over a thousand years.
- field
- Ancient Egyptian architecture and burial practices
- known_for
- Early monumental tomb structure, precursor to pyramids
- material
- Mudbricks or limestone
- period
- Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom (non-royal use continued over a thousand years)
- origin_of_name
- Arabic word for 'bench'
Lore & Background
The word mastaba comes from the Arabic word for 'bench', as a flat-topped mastaba resembles a bench when seen from a distance. The Ancient Egyptian name was pr-ḏd, meaning 'house of stability', 'house of eternity', or 'eternal house'. The afterlife was central to ancient Egyptian religion, and mastabas were built to provide the deceased with a house in the afterlife, complete with offering chapels, false doors, and hidden chambers called serdabs that held statues of the deceased. The burial chambers were cut deep into bedrock and lined with wood, while the above-ground structure was rectangular with inward-sloping sides and a flat roof, often oriented north–south for access to the afterlife.
Reader's Guide
Mastabas represent the first major tomb structure developed by the ancient Egyptians, evolving from simple pit graves. They provided better protection from scavenging animals and grave robbers, and their construction spurred the development of artificial mummification since bodies were no longer in contact with dry desert sand. The sloped sides of mastabas later extended to form pyramids, most notably in Djoser's step pyramid, which combined traditional mastaba features with monumental stone construction. Even after pyramids became prevalent for pharaohs in the 3rd and 4th Dynasties, nobles continued to be buried in mastaba tombs, as seen on the Giza Plateau where at least 150 mastaba tombs were built alongside the pyramids. The architectural evolution of mastabas—from simple brick structures to elaborate tombs with offering chapels, columned halls, and storerooms—demonstrates the increasing complexity of Egyptian funerary practices and beliefs about the afterlife.
Did You Know?
- The word mastaba comes from the Arabic word for 'bench'.
- The Ancient Egyptian name for mastaba was pr-ḏd, meaning 'house of stability', 'house of eternity', or 'eternal house'.
- Mastabas were often about four times as long as they were wide and many rose to at least 10 metres (30 ft) in height.
- The serdab, a hidden chamber in the mastaba, had small openings to allow the ba (soul) to leave and return to the statue of the deceased.
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