Giza in Der 4. Dynastie: Die Baugeschichte Und Belegung Einer Nekropole Des Alten Reiches. Band 1

Based on the results of the archaeological excavations conducted by G A Reisner, H Junker and others in the 20th century, this (first) volume ventures to reconstruct the building history and the development of the private necropolis in Giza during the Fourth Dynasty. In the first section of the book, general problems concerning the dating of tombs are addressed and discussed. The second part deals with the mastabas of the so-called hub cemeteries erected for the elite under Khufu. In assessing the architecture and archaeology of the tombs and their chapels, a chronological time frame has been established in which the beginning, the alterations and enlargements, the completion and finally the use of the tombs under Cheops and later is discussed. In the third part of the investigation, the rock-cut tombs that served as burial places for the princes and high officials are dealt with. The ‘sudden’ appearance of this type of tomb marks a drastic deviation from traditional tomb building. The development of the architecture of the rock-cut tombs as well as their affect on tomb building in the following dynasties is thoroughly discussed. Special attention is devoted to the development of the offering chamber, which exhibits fundamental changes in the course of time. In addition to basic results concerning the chronology of the tombs, some important conclusions can be drawn in regard to the history of this epoch. The development of the funerary architecture seen in the change of the layout and forms of the tombs and their chapels reflects the constant change of after world beliefs during the Fourth Dynasty.