ABSTRACT

THEtemplesatthesideoftheStep-pyramidarethe earliestknownstonebuildingsinEgypt;theydateto theIllrddynasty,andwereerectedbyKingZoser thebuilderoftheStep-pyramid.Theyareextremely importantinthehistoryofstone-building,andshowthe firsteffortsofEgyptianarchitectsinthatmaterial.As earlyasthe1stdynastygraniteandlimestonehadbeen usedintheRoyalTombsatAbydos,thoughonlyfor floors;actualstonebuilding,i.e.theplacingofstones oneabovetheothertoformawall,doesnotappearto havebeenpractisedsoearly.Wallsintheprehistoricand theearliesthistoricperiodswereoflatticesmearedwith mud,ofwood,orofsun-driedbrick,anditisnottillthe timeofZoserthatstonebuildingfirstappears.Manetho recordsthatTosorthros(nowidentifiedwithZoser)was thefirsttobuildahouseofhewnstone.Thismightbea referencetothepyramidortothetempleortoitsdependentmastaba-tombs;butthestatementindicatesthat buildinginstonewassonovelamethodofconstruction astobeworthyofremarkbythoseancientrecordersfrom whomManethodrewhisinformation.