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General view of mastaba tombs and street, located southeast of the Pyramid of Khufu; Numerous burials of private individuals, many of whom had held office in the Giza necropolis during their lifetimes, are associated with the royal burials. These mastabas and rock-cut tombs were gifts from the king in return for loyal service and may have been constructed by royal craftsmen. The original mastaba fields lying to the west, south and east of the Great Pyramids were laid out in regular lines, but later cemeteries grew up more haphazardly. Most of the tombs conform to a standard plan comprising a storeroom, an offering room and a burial chamber; a chapel in the superstructure contained one or more offering stelae by means of which the deceased and members of his family could enjoy sustenance in the next world. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 1/15/2008)