Giza and the Pyramids
Mastabas: The name means “House for Eternity” and comes from an Arabic word meaning “bench” for their resemblance to a mud brick bench. Mastaba tombs were first built of mud brick and later of stone. They began as burial sites for royals in the first two dynasties (3100-2675 BCE) As the Old Kingdom progressed, pharaohs started to be buried in pyramids, but mastaba tombs continued to be used for important commoners. Some of the best preserved tomb decorations are to be found in mastabas. The first attempt at building a pyramid, the Step Pyramid (above), looks much like five mastabas stacked one on top of another.
