Mastaba

DEFINITION

A low rectangular ancient Egyptian tomb made of mud brick or stone masonry, with sloping sides and a flat top. It covered a burial chamber.(pr. mə-STAH-bə)Example:Egypt, Lower Egypt, Saqqara, Tomb of Perneb, c. 2350-2323 BCE, end of Dynasty 5, Old Kingdom, partially painted limestone, height 16 feet 7/8 inches (482.2 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. This tomb included an underground burial chamber and a mastaba containing a decorated offering chapel and a statue chamber, usually called a serdab.Also see adobe, Egyptian art, and pyramid.