New light on the size variation of private tombs at Giza and Saqqara in late old kingdom Egypt

Abstract EN

A basic component of social organization is identifying categories into which different relatives can be placed, ^[1] which are determined by the category to which they belong, kinship terminology is a way to identify and establish those categories.

^[2]Ancient Egyptian society was in all periods strictly hierarchical.

^[3] High social status was regarded as olutely positive and it can be observed that social hierarchies were even stressed in the language of funerary symbolism.

In this context the enormous social inequality between the king and the other people, symbolized by gigantic pyramids versus smaller mastabas, has to be remembered.

^[4] Offices in ancient Egypt were often inherited, this is best attested at the Nome level, where in certain period's local dynasties of monarchs or governors can be identified, the same is partly visible at the royal court, there are examples that viziers or high priests of Amun followed their father in office.