Saqqara: MRA-EGY-Saq005

Type Sample Item

Geographic Location

Historical note about the site/monument: Considered one of the most famous tombs of Ancient Egypt, the mastaba (tomb) of Ti dates back of the Old Kingdom (around 2575 BC – 2150 BC), when these kind of funerary structures became popular. The tomb can be distinguished not only by its large scale, the high quality of its painted reliefs but also by the diversity of subjects depicted in them (showing episodes of the everyday life) and their fair state of conservation. Located near the step pyramid of Djoser, the mastaba belonged to a high official, named Ti, who served under several pharaohs, until the middle of the 5^th dynasty. The tomb was also used by other member of his family, such as his wife and sons. On the outside it presents a portico entrance, and a pillared courtyard (one of the first examples built in private tombs); then, the interior is composed by two corridors, a storeroom and a main chapel. In 1860 the mastaba was discovered by the French explorer Auguste Mariette and was, since then, studied by several Egyptologists.

Further reading:
Montet, Pierre, Les scenes de la vie privée dans les tombeuax égytiens de l’Ancien Empire, (Publications de la Faculté des Lettres de l’Université de Strasbourg, fasc. 24), Strasbourg, Istra, 1925.

Inventory