he first building; they
stand against the plastering and upon a loose layer of sand and pebbles
about four inches thick. Thus it is clear that they belonged to the
subsequent stage of the fitting of a roof to the chamber. The holes that
are shown in the floor are apparently connected with the construction,
as they are not in the mid-line where pillars are likely. At the edge of
chamber No. 2 is a cast of plaited palm-leaf matting on the mud mortar
above this level, and the bricks are set back irregularly. This shows
the mode of finishing off the roof of this tomb.

[Illustration: 377.jpg PLANS OF THE TOMBS OF DEN-SETUI AND OTHERS]

From the position of the tomb of Den-Setui, it is seen naturally to
follow the building of the tombs of Zet and Merneit. It is surrounded by
rows of small chambers for offerings, and for the burial of domestics.
The king's tomb appears to have contained a large number of tablets of
ivory and ebony, for fragments of eighteen were found, and two others
are known, making in all twenty tablets from this one tomb. The
inscriptions on stone vases are, however, not more frequent than in
previous reigns. This tomb appears to have been one of the most costly
and sumptuous. The astonishing feature of this chamber is the granite
pavement, such considerable use of granite being quite unknown until the
step pyramid of Saqqara early in the third dynasty. At the south-west
corner is a strange annex. A stairway leads down from the west and then
turns to the north. At the foot of the first flight of steps is a
space for inserting planks and brickwork to close the chamber, like
the blocking of the door of the tomb of Azab.1 This small chamber was
therefore intended to be closed. Whether this chamber was for the burial
of one of the royal family, or for the deposit of offerings, it is
difficult to determine. Of the various rows of graves around the great
tomb there is nothing to record in detail. An ebony tablet, presumably
of the time of Den, found among the first dynasty tombs, represents a
scene in which a king is dancing before Osiris, the god being seated
in his shrine. This tablet is the earliest example of those pictorial
records of a religious ceremony which, as we now know, was continued
almost without change from the first dynasty to the thirty-third. It is
interesting to note on this engraving that the king is represented with
the _hap_ and a short stick instead of the oar.

[Illustration: 379.jpg