Conclusions

Taking into account all evidence at our disposal at the moment, one can suggest that tomb As 31 dates to the late ifth or very early sixth dynasty (with reservations). its location shows clearly that this tomb was built as the irst in this part of the remote Abusir-saqqara cemetery. he question of whether there existed any connection with the subsequently built tombs of Qar and his family must be left open for the lack of evidence at present time.

Within the scope of this contribution, only a tentative comparison of the Giza and Abusir-saqqara building traditions can be attempted. First of all, despite all previous accounts, there is no irm evidence for rock-cut tombs in

Abusir-saqqara prior to the ifth dynasty.46 hus the oldest rock-cut tombs on the pyramid ields developed in Giza, probably as early as during the reign of Khafre.47 Another major difference lies in the fact that unlike giza (where the tombs belonged to the highest members of the royal family, including the queens and royal children), the rock-cut tombs built close to Memphis belonged, with only one known exception, to lower rank officials. concerning the social status of the tomb owners, more than sixty different titles of seventeen tomb owners were noted. generally speaking, they have almost nothing in common except for the title ‘property custodian of the king’ which is attested in as many as eleven cases and ‘intimate of the king’ (attested ive times).48 On a general level, it may be said that most of the tomb owners were employed at the royal court and as lower ranking priests.

Jones, Index I, 449, No. 1681.

25 K. Zibelius, Agyptische Siedlungen nach texten des Alten Reiches (BTAVO, Reihe B, Nr. 19; Wiesbaden 1978), 209—211.

Without any further details, all evidence at our disposal from Abusir and saqqara indicates that the fashion in rock-cut tomb building appears here by the end of the fifth dynasty, perhaps in connection with a resurrected ‘link’ between Giza and Abusir and Saqqara re-established some time during the reign of Niuserre. his, as well as most of the features mentioned earlier, necessitates, however, further examination and testing. What seems to be clear, however, is the conclusion that the rock-cut tombs known from Abusir and saqqara appear suddenly and probably only as a modified import from Giza during the second half of the fifth dynasty. I am aware of just one parallel to AS 31 which is represented by a rock-cut tomb of Kaunesut at Giza. His tomb also features a regular mastaba-superstructure with southern and northern niche and with a chapel cut in the rock. Despite the official dating of the tomb to the late-fourth/ifth dynasty, the titles of Kaunesut allow for a possible later date (second half of the fifth dynasty).49

We may speculate as to the reasons that led to their introduction: there was certainly enough space to build standard mastaba-type tombs elsewhere. Perhaps at the beginning we have here another example of the emulation of the material culture of higher officials by the lower officials, as was the case with imported and imitated Levantine pottery in some Abusir and Saqqara tombs during the sixth dynasty?50 At the same time, it may be assumed that they were cheaper and quicker to build and did not require additional building material. his may have been yet another important factor in Saqqara as titles of the rock-cut tomb owners in this area indicate their somewhat lower status at the court.

Last but not least, at the present there is no explanation for a strong axis deviation of the entrance into the chapel of AS 31. he entrance is orientated to the south-east by about 30° which makes it rather unusual. here may be several factors to take into account: the orientation of the tomb towards the rising sun at a specific time of the year, the orientation towards another principal monument in this direction or some other, so far unknown, factors.

Many problems remain to be solved — the origin of rock-cut tombs in the area of Abusir and Saqqara, their social, spatial and perhaps religious specific significance. Most questions only can be answered with a hoe and a basket.