Mastaba Tomb of Perneb

Ancient Egyptian This is an actual ancient Egyptian tomb, not a replica. The limestone mastaba facade and decorated offering chapel were purchased from the Egyptian government in 1913, dismantled, shipped to New York, and reconstructed at the entrance to the Met's Egyptian galleries. Visitors can walk inside.

Perneb was a palace administrator during late Dynasty 5, around 2381-2323 BCE. His tomb includes a decorated offering chapel, a secondary offering chamber, and a serdab (sealed statue chamber). The serdab has a slot through which incense and chanting could reach the statue inside, believed to house Perneb's spirit.

The mastaba (Arabic for "bench") is a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with sloping sides, the standard tomb type for elite Egyptians before pyramids became exclusive to royalty. It's one of the first things visitors encounter in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian wing.