The first dynasties built in mud brick. Then, at the start of the 3rd Dynasty, a king named Djoser (c. 2667–2648 BC) did something new: he had his tomb built entirely of cut stone, at Saqqara, high above Memphis.
Key idea
How it grew
- It began as a square, flat-topped stone mastaba.
- The mastaba was enlarged twice.
- Then the builders set smaller mastabas on top to make four steps.
- Finally they enlarged it again into six steps.
Why it works
Around the pyramid lay a huge walled enclosure with courtyards and dummy buildings of solid stone, including a court for the sed festival, the royal jubilee. Under the pyramid, shafts and tunnels lead to the burial chamber, and some rooms are lined with blue tiles that copy reed matting.
Imhotep
A statue base from the complex carries the name and titles of Imhotep, a high official of Djoser. Much later, Egyptians remembered him as the great architect and a wise man, and in the Late Period he was worshipped as a god of healing; Greeks linked him with their healer Asclepius. That a real official became a god shows how much later generations admired this achievement.
Worked example: Telling the stages apart
- Inside and around the base, archaeologists can see earlier faces of stone covered by later additions.
- These show a mastaba, then an enlarged mastaba, then four steps, then six.
- So the building changed plan several times as it went.
Answer: The buried earlier faces of stone show the changes of plan.
Common mistake