f this ivory panel is of the finest description, and
bears evidence of the magnificent workmanship of the Egyptians 6,500
years ago. It will be seen that enough of the fragment has been
preserved to include the cartouche of the monarch, and the snake at the
side is the pictograph of judgment. Beneath is the hieroglyph for gold,
and at the bottom is a sign which represents a seal cylinder* rolling
over a piece of clay.

* It was for a long time thought that this hieroglyphic
character represented a finger ring, but as it is now
positively known that finger rings were not in use until
long after the time of Den, this explanation had to be
abandoned in favour of the more correct interpretation of a
seal cylinder.

The tomb of Azab-Merpaba is a plain chamber, with rather sloping sides,
about twenty-two feet long and fourteen feet wide. The surrounding wall
is nearly five feet thick. The lesser and more irregular chamber on
the north is of the same depth and construction, fourteen feet by nine.
This lesser chamber had no remains of flooring; it contained many large
sealings of jars, and seems to have been for all the funeral provision,
like the eight chambers around the tomb of Merneit. Around this tomb is
a circuit of small private tombs, leaving a gap on the southwest like
that of Merneit, and an additional branch line has been added on at the
north.

[Illustration: 382.jpg STAIRWAY IN THE TOMB AZAB]

All of these tombs are very irregularly built; the sides are wavy in
direction, and the divisions of the long trench are slightly piled up,
of bricks laid lengthwise, and easily overthrown. This agrees with
the rough and irregular construction of the central tomb and offering
chamber. The funeral of Azab seems to have been more carelessly
conducted than that of any of the other kings here; only one piece of
inscribed vase was in his tomb, as against eight of his found in his
successor's tomb, and many other of his vases erased by his successor.
Thus his palace property seems to have been kept back for his
successor's use, and not buried with Azab himself. In some of the
chambers much ivory inlaying was found.

The entrance to the tomb of Azab was by a stairway descending from the
east, thus according with the system begun by Den. On the steps, just
outside of the door, were found dozens of small pots loosely piled
together. These must have contained offerings made after the completion
of t