Abusir of Sons of the Sun

This chapter examines the influence of the town of Heliopolis—the center of the sun cult in Egypt—on the foundation and development of the royal cemetery in Abusir. It begins with an overview of the history and meaning of the sun cult in ancient Egypt, showing that sun worship in the Nile Valley can be traced to prehistory. It then describes some pyramid complexes built in ancient Heliopolis, including the pyramid complex of Sahure, and the decline of the Abusir necropolis. It also discusses the decline of the Fourth Dynasty and the rise of the Fifth Dynasty; the mystery surrounding three royal mothers, all named Khentkaus; the papyri as fragmentary records of the Abusir pyramid temple administration and economy; Ptashshepses, the vizier and son-in-law of Nyuserre; and the funerary cult of the kings buried at Abusir. The chapter concludes with an assessment of sun temples of the Fifth Dynasty kings.

In the Shadow of Memphis

This chapter focuses on Memphis, a metropolis of ancient Egypt, and the possibility that it was the site of the remains of monumental temples, royal residences, palaces, and many other urban features. Meni, the legendary unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty at the turn of the fourth to third millennium BC, is credited with the founding of Memphis. It is believed that, in addition to the stronghold, Meni also founded the Temple of Ptah, the chief god of the new royal seat. The chapter traces the history of Memphis and describes the district of the Temple of Ptah, along with the pyramids, royal tombs, and other structures located in the city. It also considers some of the deities who had their cult in Memphis, including Hathor. Finally, it looks at the pharaohs who built their tombs in Memphis.

Epilogue

This epilogue considers some of the challenges that lie ahead for the Czech archaeological team, led by Ludwig Borchardt, with regard to exploration of Abusir. After Borchardt's archaeological excavations before World War I and subsequently more than half a century of Czech explorations, it seems like all important archaeological monuments in Abusir have already been found and examined and no more major discoveries can be expected. However, the opposite is true. The chapter discusses the problems concerning the dominant monuments in the Abusir royal cemetery—the pyramids. It also highlights the fact that many large tombs in the immediate vicinity of the pyramids remain unexplored and concludes with an overview of another archaeological challenge facing the Czech team in South Abusir: the unfinished excavation of the cemetery from the Early Dynastic Period, adjacent from the east to the Old Kingdom cemetery.

Turbulent Times at the Turn of Two Dynasties3

This chapter discusses the turbulent times in Egypt at the turn of the Fourth and Fifth dynasties. The end of the Fourth Dynasty and the ascent of the Fifth Dynasty are both surrounded by many questions and uncertainties concerning not only the ruling line but also conditions in Egyptian society in general. The chapter provides an overview of the ruling royal line, its protagonists, and their role in a time of complex and profound social change in Egypt. It also examines the main features of the relevant social processes and the nature of the changes within a wider historical framework of Egypt since its unification. It shows that the transition from the Fourth to the Fifth Dynasty was accompanied by new forces that kings could not entirely control.

South Abusir

This chapter focuses on South Abusir, the southern section of the Czech archaeological concession in the Memphite necropolis. It first describes the Valley of Abusir, which is supposed to have been the easiest access way to the Saqqara cemetery, and how the North Saqqara escarpment and the Lake of Abusir not only dominated but also helped shape the archaeological landscape of South Abusir. It then looks at the Lake of Abusir and its surroundings in the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom, along with the mastabas of Fifth Dynasty officials such as Kaaper and Neferinpu. It also discusses tombs found in South Abusir, including the tomb of Fetekti, the tomb of Meryheryshefpepy, and the tomb complex of Qar.

The Other Abusir

This chapter discusses the change in how scholars view Abusir, in part due to the discovery of a cemetery with shaft tombs dating from the end of the Twenty-sixth and the beginning of the Twenty-seventh Dynasty—that is, from the end of what is known as the Saite Period and the beginning of the first period of Persian domination over Egypt. Until recently, Egyptologists and archaeologists looked at Abusir in a distinctly one-sided way. Thanks to the pyramids built in Abusir by the pharaohs of the Fifth Dynasty, the village was regarded as a relatively short-lived royal cemetery belonging exclusively to that period. The chapter first describes the archaeological excavations made by a Czech team in the newly discovered cemetery with shaft tombs in Abusir before examining the mystery surrounding Wedjahorresnet's funerary monument in Abusir. It also considers two shaft tombs, one belonging to Iufaa and the other to Menekhibnekau.