Pyramids of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt
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The Pyramids of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt are a group of Old Kingdom royal pyramid complexes, built mainly at Abusir and Saqqara, that reflect a transition toward smaller monuments with elaborate sun temples and richly decorated mortuary temples.
Statements (47)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Old Kingdom pyramids
ⓘ
ancient Egyptian monuments ⓘ group of royal pyramid complexes ⓘ |
| archaeologicalSignificance |
important for study of early Pyramid Texts and solar cult
ⓘ
key evidence for evolution of Old Kingdom royal funerary architecture ⓘ |
| architecturalStyle | step pyramid tradition evolved into true pyramids ⓘ |
| associatedWithDeity | Ra NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| builtDuring | circa 25th to 24th century BCE ⓘ |
| builtFor | Fifth Dynasty pharaohs ⓘ |
| characterizedBy |
elaborate sun temples
ⓘ
richly decorated mortuary temples ⓘ smaller pyramid size compared to Fourth Dynasty pyramids ⓘ |
| constructionMaterial |
limestone
ⓘ
mudbrick (in some subsidiary structures) ⓘ |
| currentCondition | mostly ruined cores and fragmentary temples ⓘ |
| excavatedBy | Czech archaeological missions at Abusir ⓘ |
| follows | Pyramids of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasComponent |
causeway
ⓘ
mortuary temple ⓘ pyramid core ⓘ pyramid courtyard ⓘ valley temple ⓘ |
| hasDecoration |
high-quality stone reliefs in mortuary temples
ⓘ
reliefs depicting royal and ritual scenes ⓘ |
| hasInnovation |
development of royal sun temples separate from the pyramids
ⓘ
increased emphasis on temple decoration over pyramid size ⓘ |
| includes |
Pyramid of Menkauhor Kaiu (probable, debated)
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Pyramid of Neferefre NERFINISHED ⓘ Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai NERFINISHED ⓘ Pyramid of Nyuserre Ini NERFINISHED ⓘ Pyramid of Sahure NERFINISHED ⓘ Pyramid of Unas NERFINISHED ⓘ Pyramid of Userkaf NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Abusir
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Egypt ⓘ Saqqara NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| mainCemeteryArea |
Abusir necropolis
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Saqqara necropolis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| notableFeature | earliest extensive use of Pyramid Texts ⓘ |
| partOf |
Fifth Dynasty of Egypt
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Old Kingdom of Egypt NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| precedes | Pyramids of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| reflectsTransition | from gigantic royal pyramids to smaller complexes with richer decoration ⓘ |
| religiousFunction |
royal funerary cult
ⓘ
solar cult of Ra NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| surveyedBy | Karl Richard Lepsius (19th century surveys of Abusir and Saqqara) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| worldHeritageStatus | part of Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur (UNESCO World Heritage Site) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.