Mastaba (Noun)
Meaning
An ancient Egyptian mud-brick tomb with a rectangular base and sloping sides and flat roof; "the Egyptian pyramids developed from the mastaba".
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The pharaoh's final rest was placed within a grand mastaba, a testament to his wealth and power.
- Archaeologists carefully excavated the ancient mastaba, uncovering relics from a long-lost civilization.
- As the earliest form of Egyptian tombs, mastabas like this one predated the pyramids by centuries.
- The flat roof of the mastaba provided a solid surface for the placement of offerings to the deceased.
- During the 3rd dynasty, the mastaba evolved into the stepped pyramid, a transitional form leading to the true pyramid.