774 



Professor W. M. Flinders Petrie 



[June 3, 



offerings before it. Yet the statue was exposed to possible injury. 

 So the desire of the family to see it was subordinated to their wish 

 to save it from harm, and it was walled in by screening off the end 

 of a corridor before the tomb ; the corridor itself being an enlarge- 

 ment of the statue-chamber, where the offerings were made. Such 

 is seen in the tomb of Ka-mena, at El Kab. 



The next step for the preservation of the statue was to deepen 

 the recess of the false door so as to hold the statue within it. This 

 was done in the tomb of Nefermaat at Medum. There a very deep 

 niche contained the statue, safely walled in with solid masonry across 



Fig. 5. — Wooden statue oi wife of Ka-aper. 



the entrance. Then the jambs of the doorway were expanded 

 laterally to form a fa9ade, but yet each made of one single stone. 

 To protect and enlarge the mastaba, two successive coats of brick- 

 work were added all round it. In placing the first it was not desired 

 to hide the fagade, so a cross passage was left in order that the sculp- 

 tured stone fagade should remain visible, and a direct passage was 

 left through the brickwork. The outer coat of brick covered the 

 entrance finally, and a court was added in front for the offerings. 

 This is a particularly important link in the series, as we see how 

 the wish to leave exposed the sculptured facade of the niche led to 

 a cross passage being left inside the brick coating (Fig. 6). 



