once pristine:
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around the time of unification of egypt, the dawn of the dynasties, burial chambers were gradually cut deeper ... topped with a low mound, surrounded by a low, rectangular mud-brick building : mastaba, from arabic 'low bench' : this structure gave way to subterranean storage, reached by a stairway : Djoser's pyramid, with stepped appearance, is a development of the mastaba tombs : interpreted as a symbolic mound of creation or stairway to heaven : Djoser's architect, Imhotep, built in stages : the tomb started as a square mastaba and five additional mastabas were added above to create the first six-stepped pyramid |
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