A Guided Tour: Old Kingdom
(the Pyramid age; about 2686-2181 BC)
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The early Old Kingdom is the period when the largest
stone pyramids were built; for this reason, sometimes it is called the
Pyramid Age (though smaller pyramids were built in later periods). The
pyramid of Meydum was the first with smooth sloping sides.
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Today we have very little direct information on how a pyramid was built. |
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Next to the pyramid of the king, there was the cemetery
for the court. The tombs of these people are called mastabas.
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The tomb chapels of the highest officials are often
decorated with daily life scenes; providing the tomb owner for eternity
with the goods which are shown being produced and used
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The burials of other people are simpler and poorer,
lacking the monumental chapels.
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The kings of the Third and Fourth Dynasty put all
their energy into building pyramids. In the Fifth Dynasty many kings
built also a temple to link their cult with that of the sun god Re at
Iunu (Heliopolis).
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Some scenes in the sun temple of king Niuserre show
the sed festival, a kind of jubilee, celebrated after 30 years of rule.
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From local temples in the provinces little has survived.
This limestone slab was found at Koptos. The original building where
it was included had been destroyed in remote antiquity.
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We know very little about the individual kings of
the Old Kingdom; sources of information include rock
inscriptions, inscriptions on seals
and vessels.
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Of great importance for our knowledge of Old Kingdom
history are some fragments of royal annals, recording year by year the
events of single reigns.
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Khufu (Kheops) was the builder of the Great Pyramid
at Gizeh. We know very little about the king and his reign. Few contemporary
sources mention him.
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We are better informed about the reigns of the kings
of the Sixth Dynasty. There are several longer autobiographies of officials
serving under these kings and many other written sources.
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In the Old Kingdom most of the resources of the country
went to the capital and their cemeteries (Meydum, Dahshur, Saqqara,
Abusir, Gizeh, Abu Rowash). Tombs and temples in the provinces are smaller
and simpler.
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At the end of the Old Kingdom the provinces became
more important. Local governors built impressive tombs and even smaller
tombs became richer.
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The so called Meydum ware is the typical pottery ware
found in Old Kingdom elite tombs. The surface of this kind of pottery
is always highly polished. Shallow bowls are particularly frequent.
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The pottery of daily use - more often found at settlement
sites - is rather rough.
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Tomb equipment in the Old Kingdom is rather simple.
A typical grave good is a headrest.
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Fine coffins or more rarely sarcophagi (stone coffins)
are typical for elite burials.
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