An Egyptian scribe claimed that a literary text endures more than a majestic grave. The generations to come remember someone else for their writings than for their grave. Famous tombs remain ruins, while a good story lives forever. In many cases, this wise statement proved wrong. Today we know many more names for the evidence of their graves than for their literary legacy. The test of time has shown that a solid and well decorated tomb is the best guarantee of posthumous fame and memory. It is true that the systematic robberies of graves, both in ancient times and in recent times, left very little funeral goods to discover, but the sarcophagi were too uncomfortable to carry; the decorations on the walls were of no importance to the ancient thieves and the inscriptions engraved in stone meant nothing to them. All contain names, titles and family relationships of the owners, and also references to their careers. If it weren't for the inscriptions and scenes preserved in the private tombs of the dignitaries of the Ancient Empire, we would know very little about life in ancient Egypt.
These graves are known as "mastabas". "Mastabas", which means "bank" in Arabic, refers to the shape of the upper structure of the private tombs of the Old Empire. Traditionally, the nobility preferred to be buried near the royal pyramid. The main concentrations of mastabas available today are in Sakara and Giza, cemeteries of the Memphis capital. The mortuary chamber was carved in the rock. In Sakara they had to dig in a vertical line or make a pit in the sand until they reached the solid rock. There an enclosure or more was carved to house the sarcophagus and the canopic ark, and also the various objects that were to serve the deceased in eternal life. After the funerals, the underground part of the mastaba was sealed to prevent further income. A large amount of sand, stone and gravel was stacked until the "bank" structure was achieved and a retaining wall was built. During the Arab period, uncooked bricks were made; later, when stone architecture became popular, it was made of stone. According to a Mesopotamian model imported early to Egypt, these walls had niches that gradually became obsolete, except one, in the southern part of the east wall, enlarged and decorated to serve as a focus for the funeral service. It was soon replaced by a cult chamber dug in the gravel of the upper structure, called the "funerary chamber." they were decorated with reliefs painted with scenes of everyday life.If the walls were not enough for the desired scenes, new enclosures were added.The usual arrangement of a burial chamber was as follows:
A. The "false door." It was the representation of a door, with leaves, bolts and latches, sculpted in a wall recess. It was believed that the deceased's ka could enter the chamber and participate in the offerings. The "jambs" were decorated with representations of the deceased and inscriptions that mentioned their names and titles.
B. Above the false door was a stone panel with the "food scene" painted in relief, which showed the owner of the mastaba alone or with his wife, sitting in front of a table full of food offerings. This meal could be materialized for the deceased by magical means. An inscription indicated that one thousand units of each item (meat, poultry, beer, bread) would be available if the visitor pronounced the offerings formula.
C. On the floor, under the false door, was an altar of stone offerings, with the engraving of a hieroglyph of hetep = "offering". Any offering raised to the deceased was deposited in that slab.
D. Behind one of the side walls was a hidden cell that contained a statue or more of the deceased. A small hole at eye level allowed the statue to see the enclosure of offerings, called serdab. Many private statues of the Ancient Empire, today in the Museum of Egypt and others, were discovered in serdab of looted mastabas.
E. On the walls scenes of everyday life were recorded: hunting and fishing situations, field work, grazing, carpentry, sculpture, goldsmithing, cooking, boat building, butcher shop, etc., as well as administrative and recreational activities. Its purpose was to ensure by magic means the perpetual production and manifestation of the needs for the well-being of the deceased. Giza's mastabas are a bit smaller and of different shapes than those of Sakara, and their burial chambers are generally excavated in the rock.