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The Old Kingdom

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Title: The Old Kingdom


1
The Old Kingdom
  • c.2686-2160 BC

2
3rd Dynasty 2686-2613 BC Nebka Djoser Sekhemkh
et Khaba Huni 4th Dynasty 2613-2494 BC
Sneferu Khufu Djedefra Khafra Menkaura Shepseskaf
5th Dynasty 2494-2345 BC Userkaf Sahura Nefer
irkara Raneferef Nyuserra Menkauhor Djedkara Unas
6th Dynasty 2345-2181 BC Teti Userkara Pepy
I Merenra Pepy II Nitiqret
3
The Old Kingdom ends with
7th and 8th Dynasties 2181-2160 BC Several
ephemeral rulers called Neferkara.
The term kingdom signifies political unity and
strong, centralized government as opposed to
intermediate period which is characterized by
rivalries among local rulers and civil war.
4
The Old Kingdom saw the first zenith of the
Egyptian culture. The god-like pharaoh ruled at
the pinnacle of a highly hierarchical society,
his vizier of royal blood, and state officials
often from the royal family. During much of the
Old Kingdom Egypt was a centrally planned and
tightly organized and administered country.
The king acted as an undisputed mediator between
the gods and people. Contact with the gods was
achieved through ritual. The king was also a
guarantor of the continuing orderly running of
the world. His role continued after his death
and this explains why it was in everybodys
interest to ensure the safe journey and arrival
of the king to the underworld.
5
The sun-god Re dominated the religion, and
afterlife was viewed as ascending to the sky and
sailing with Re in his solar boat. The Old
Kingdom witnessed the building of the first
pyramids at Saqqara (Dynasties 3, 5-6), Abusir
(Dynasty 5) and the great pyramid complexes of
Giza of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura (Dynasty 4)
and also the creation of the first fully
developed hieroglyphic (religious and wisdom)
texts.
6
New monumental architectural innovations and
their effects on the country provided the
criterion to the dynastic division, to switch
from the 2nd Dynasty to the 3rd Dynasty.
The 3rd Dynasty
The most important ruler of the 3rd Dynasty was
Djoser who seems to have made Memphis the
capital and Saqqara its necropolis. His choice
for the vizier Imhotep (I have come in peace) a
genius in architecture. By continually enlarging
and stacking up mastaba type tombs on the top of
one another, and after six variants of the plan
he created the worlds first monumental stone
building, the so-called Step Pyramid of Djoser.
7
Mastaba Tombs
8
Cross-section of a typical mastaba
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The Djoser Step Pyramid Complex
12
  • An entire complex (of mostly fake buildings)
    was built around the pyramid and it was
    surrounded with a functional (for security)
    temenos wall (temenos in Greek means sacred
    precint). The temenos wall is wavy and it is
    thought to represent the primordial water. The
    Great Courtyard includes cairns (markers) that
    meant to indicate the actual course that the
    deceased king should run in his heb-sed race
    (usually along with Apis, the sacred bull, a
    manifestation of Ptah while alive and Osiris when
    dead) during the sed-festival in the Afterlife.

13
Djoser
14
The Step Pyramid
15
Cross-section of the step pyramid
16
Purpose
  • There are a number of interpretations for the
    shape of the Step Pyramid. One is that its
    mound-like shape represents the primeval mound of
    creation, another is that the pyramid represents
    a monumental staircase to the sky for the
    deceased king to ascend to heaven. The latter
    view is supported by the following spell from a
    pyramid text
  • ... A stairway to the sky is set up for me
    that I may ascend on it to the sky, and I ascend
    on the smoke of the great censing.

17
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18
Heb-sed
  • During the reign of the (living) king a
    sed-festival was a sort of re-coronation ceremony
    to be held (originally) every 30 years while the
    king was a ruler. The heb-sed race was actually
    run by the king to prove his vitality. The
    purpose of the festival was to reassert the
    kings position as a ruler and to renew his royal
    power.

19
The heb-sed court of the Step Pyramid
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Djoser running his heb-sed race
22
Colonnade near the entrance, the columns are
carved to resemble bundles of reeds
23
Papyrus-form columns
24
A frieze of cobras on the top of the South Tomb
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Raising the Djed-Pillar
  • Many monuments (including the step pyramid
    complex) depict the pharaoh running his heb-sed
    race. The scene usually includes the so-called
    djed-pillar (reed column), which in the New
    Kingdom was interpreted as Osiris backbone, a
    symbol of stability. The Raising of the Djed
    Pillar Ceremony frequently depicted on the walls
    at the festival courts reenacts the resurrection
    of Osiris to life.

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Imhotep
  • The royal vizier, Imhotep, the creator genius
    of the step pyramid was deified in the Ptolemaic
    Period (332-30 BC). He was identified by the
    Egyptian Thoth and the Greek god of healing,
    Asclepios. In the step pyramid we also have the
    first appearance of life-size statues, one of the
    king himself was found in the serdab (Arabic for
    cellar, a statue room) of the step pyramid.

29
The 4th Dynasty
  • Once again the dynastic division of Manetho is
    due to monumental architectural changes. The
    affluence of Egypt in the 4th Dynasty (and the
    5th) exceeded the prosperity in the 3rd Dynasty.
    The obvious evidence for this is the Great
    Pyramid Complexes of the 4th Dynasty rulers
    Khufu (Cheops in Greek), Khafre (Chephren), and
    Menkaure (Mycernius).

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Khufu
33
Khafre
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The Sphinx
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Khufu and Sneferu
  • Khufus full name is Khnum-Kufu, Khnum
    protects him, khu means protect. The association
    of Khufu with the Elephantine creator god Khnum
    is unknown.
  • The foundation of the culture of pyramid
    building was laid down by Khufus father,
    Sneferu, the first king of the 4th Dynasty who
    built the first genuine pyramid with smooth
    sides. (As his name suggests, snfr means make
    beautiful Sneferu was thought to be a benign
    ruler.) He built three large pyramids at Meidum
    and Dashur.

38
The Meidum pyramid is either unfinished or was
later used as a stone quarry. It is attributed
to him mainly because the ancient name of
Meidum is Djed Snefru translated as Snefru
endures.
39
The Bent Pyramid
40
The Red Pyramid
41
  • A pyramid complex consists of the pyramid
    surrounded by a temenos wall, one or more
    subsidiary pyramids (for queens, royal mothers
    and sometimes high officials), a mortuary or
    pyramid temple (to ensure the kings
    immortality), a causeway (for the funeral
    procession) connecting the mortuary temple with
    another, and the so-called valley temple (for
    the funeral rituals) where the latter was at the
    edge of a canal leading to the Nile. The pyramid
    complex was kept up by priests who were believed
    to report periodically to the central bureaucracy
    headed by the vizier. The complex owned land or
    had the right to the harvest and the entire staff
    was sustained by a local area economy.

42
From the step-pyramid to the smooth-sided pyramid
  • The passage from the step pyramid (magical
    staircase) to a smooth sided pyramid was probably
    due to benben, a smooth conical shaped stone, a
    sacred cult object of Re in Heliopolis. According
    to a spell in the Pyramid Texts
  • I have laid down for myself this sunshine of
    yours as a stairway ramp under my feet on which
    I will ascend to that mother of mine ..
  • This suggests that the deceased king would
    ascend to heaven by traveling with the suns rays
    along the shining surface of the pyramid used as
    a ramp.
  • Note that the consonants in the word benben
    (wbn) mean shine or rise. Thus the benben stone
    can be interpreted as the symbol of renewal (of
    life) and sunrise.

43
  • Queen Hetepheres, Snefrus wife and Khufus
    mother, became famous as her tomb in the Kfufus
    Pyramid complex remained almost intact. The
    pieces of furniture discovered in her tomb
    provide a glimpse of the splendor of the 4th
    Dynasty royal family.
  • The Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and
    Menkaure are all located in Giza, the most
    important necropolis of the 4th Dynasty. The
    Pyramid Complex of Khufu also contains five boat
    pits. Two of the pits actually contained
    solar-boats and one has been excavated and
    reassembled in the Solar Boat Museum. The purpose
    of the solar boats was to enable the deceased
    king to join the sun-god Re on his voyages
    through the sky.

44
Boat pits
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46
  • The 5th Dynasty
  • Already at the end of the 4th Dynasty there
    have been signs of a gradual decline of the
    kings power and authority. This has been
    reinforced by the kings emphasis on the sun-god
    Re. The dynastic division is probably due to a
    major change in state religion.
  • Early in the Old Kingdom Heliopolis (Biblical
    On) was recognized as the religious capital. In
    the 4th Dynasty Re became a national deity
    (instead of the pharaoh himself). Re was
    recognized as the ultimate giver of life and the
    moving force in nature.

47
Sun Temples
  • The 5th Dynasty the kings built large sun
    temples, sanctuaries of the son-god Re, next to
    their pyramids. The outlay of a sun temple was
    very similar to the pyramid complex except that
    the pyramid was replaced by a symbol of Re, a
    pillar on a podium and later an obelisk, an
    Egyptian invention. (Form the Middle Kingdom on
    the tip of the obelisk was gilded to reflect the
    sunshine early morning.)

48
The benben stone and the obelisk.
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51
  • The most important sun temples are of the
    Kings Userkaf (first king of the 5th Dynasty) and
    Nyuserra, and they are found at Abusir and Abu
    Gurab. The Abusir Papyri (King Neferirkaras
    mortuary cult) describes the daily ritual duties
    of the priests and their role in the festivals.
  • The increased land donations to the sun
    temples slowly decreased the kings control and
    increased the priests power and their
    independence in Heliopolis.

52
Syncretism
  • Re became so supreme in the Egyptian pantheon
    that even Horus whose incarnation was the pharaoh
    himself, became united with Re by what we call
    syncretism, and the combined god, Re-Horakhty Re,
    the Horus of the Akhet emerged.

53
Decline
  • The initial increase of the kings power lead
    to the swelling of the bureaucracy and the king
    was no longer able to oversee the minute details
    of the countrys administration. This lead to a
    further reduction of this kings control over
    national matters. The decline was very slow and
    invisible to the common people.
  • In the administration there was a gradual
    withdrawal of members of the royal family from
    important positions.

54
Pyramid Texts
  • The growth of local power centers are proved
    by the appearance of pyramid texts in private
    burials. Unlike in the 4th Dynasty when the
    nobles clustered their mastabas around the kings
    pyramid, the 5th Dynasty nobles choose to have
    their burial sites where they were located during
    their lives.

55
King Unas pyramid text
  • At Saqqara, right next to Djosers step
    pyramid, there is a smaller pyramid complex of
    King Unas, the last pharaoh of the 5th Dynasty.
    The most important feature of this pyramid
    complex is that the walls of the antechamber and
    the burial chamber are both covered with Pyramid
    Texts written in richly decorated hieroglyps.
    This is the oldest corpus and the most reliable
    source of religious literature in fact, the
    religious beliefs expressed here may predate the
    Old Kingdom.

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  • The text deals with the deceased kings going
    up to the sky (with assistance from Shu, the
    celestial ferryman, and the wings of the ibis-god
    Thoth) to be welcomed by the sky-goddess Nut, and
    it expresses the kings desire to join his father
    Re-Atum on his daily journey across the sky in
    his solar boat.
  • King Unas Pyramid Texts are also considered
    the oldest corpus of wisdom literature.
  • The collection of spells and advice meant to
    give power the deceased king to conquer hostile
    forces of the Underworld who try to prevent him
    to join Atum-Re in the sky.

58
The 6th Dynasty
  • Recent excavations (as reported in the
    National Geographic, Death on the Nile, October
    2002 issue) shed considerable light on the
    successions and palace intrigues during the 6th
    Dynasty. It starts with King Teti whose exact
    relationship to King Unas is not known, except
    that he married Iput, Unas daughter. She was
    believed to be Tetis chief wife until recently
    they discovered that Tetis other wife Khuit had
    a pyramid that predates Iputs. The most probable
    genealogy and the twists and turns of events are
    as follows

59
  • Unas -gt Iput (daughter)
  • Teti Iput (wife) -gt Pepi I (son), Idut
    (daughter)
  • Khuit (wife) -gt Tetiankh-Kem
    (son)
  • Teti came to the throne by force, with
    opposition from Ihy, the vizier of Unas. Princess
    Idut died and got buried in Ihys tomb Ihys
    name is chiselled out as a punsihment for the
    opposition. Tetis two wives continually plotted
    against each other.
  • Teti and Tetiankh-Kem (age 25) murdered.
  • Userkare
  • Possible plotter and usurper of Teti. His
    existence is disputed by some scholars. Only two
    kings lists mention him. Ruled until Queen Iput
    managed to get her son Pepi I to the throne.
    Hezi, the vizier of Teti was also involved in
    the plot, a possible ringleader.

60
  • Pepi I Ankhesenpepi II (wife) -gt Pepi II (son)
  • sister of Ankhesenpepi II
    (wife) -gt Merenre (son)
  • Pepi I revenges his fathers murderers. The
    plotters names such as Hezis were chiselled
    out from their tombs and other officials were
    buried there.
  • Merenre Ankhesenpepi II (wife)
  • Merenre ruled only a few years. After he died
    Ankhesenpepi II ruled as a regent until her son
    Pepi II came to the throne.
  • Ankhesenpepi II has a pyramid next to the one
    of Pepi I but facing
  • Merenres, she was the first queen buried
    with pyramid texts.
  • Pepi II (94 years of reign by Manetho)
  • The successor of Pepi II probably died in a
    few years but his queen, Nitiqret ruled for
    another 2-3 years.

61
Difficulties
  • The palace intrigues show that the king no
    longer enjoyed a god-like status in the late Old
    Kingdom. The decrease of royal dominance was
    partially due to and simultaneous with the
    emergence of powerful local elite in the regional
    centers. In trying to curb the nomarchs power in
    the south the office of overseer of Upper Egypt
    was created during the 6th Dynasty. There were
    military difficulties too. The difficulties at
    the borders of Egypt are illustrated by the Stela
    of the Soldier Qedes from Gebelein that made an
    explicit mention of Nubian mercenary fighters in
    the area of Gebelin.

62
Nile flood levels
  • The flood level of the Nile has been steadily
    declining during the Old Kingdom. This led to the
    reduction of agricultural production and
    eventually famine set in. As a consequence of the
    prolonged famine, people began to doubt whether
    the pharaoh was able to maintain the world order,
    the Maat. Several steles commemorate the
    difficulties.

63
The Stele of the Treasurer Ihy of Imyotru
  • I was a great pillar in the Theban nome, a
    man of standing in the Southland. I nourished
    Imyotru in years of misery. Though for hundred
    men were in straits through it, I did not seize a
    mans daughter, nor did I seize his field. ..
    I gave Upper Egyptian barley to Iuni, to Hefat,
    after Imyotru had been supplied.

64
The Stele of the Steward Seneni of Coptos
  • I measured up Upper Egyptian barley as
    sustenance for this whole town in the gateway of
    the Count and Chief Priest Djenfi, in the painful
    years of distress.

The First Intermediate Period was about to set in.
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