The Use of stone in Early Dynastic Egyptian construction

From the Old Kingdom pyramid complexes at Saqqara and Giza to New Kingdom sites at Luxor and Abu Simbel, evidence of stone usage abounds throughout Pharaonic history. But what was the forerunner to this grand-scale stone construction? The aim of this paper is to review the extensive use of stone in tomb structures of the Early Dynastic Period and, through structural analysis of the retaining walls and roofs of these tombs, to demonstrate the proficiency of the early designers and builders.