Through the Eras

Architecture and Design0 1 km0 0.5 milePyramid age Nile?Main Memphis ruin field500 m east (see inset)Unas lake?Pyramid age Nile?SouthSaqqaralakes?ArchaicMemphis?0 1 km0 1 mileMainMemphisruin fieldPyramid age Nile?Djedkare-IsesiUserkafTetiLepsius 29ShepseskafPepi IIchamber, 7.87 meters long and 3.13 meters wide (25.8by 10.2 feet). A passage to the left led to a storage area.The arrangement of the buildings associated withUserkaf’s pyramid resembles Djoser’s Third-dynastypyramid complex much more than the complex at Gizabuilt only two generations previously. The pyramid templeis located on the south side of the pyramid. A smalloffering chapel remains on the east side of the pyramid,IbiSekhemkhetUnasDjoserArchaicmastabasPepi IMerenreDjedkare-IsesiPepi IUnaslake?SekhemkhetMerenreW aAbusir lakeSAQQARAd iGisrel-MudirABUSIRRaneferefKhentkawesNeferirkareNyuserreSahurePlan of Saqqara and Abu Sir. CREATED BY GGS INFORMATION SER-VICES. GALE.Nthe side reserved for the pyramid temple in the FourthDynasty at Giza. The pyramid temple contains nichesfor the statue cult, but they are oriented to the southwall of the temple, away from the pyramid rather thantoward it as had been the case in Giza. The subsidiarypyramid is located at the southwest corner of the mainpyramid rather than on the east or southeast as at Giza.At least two interpretations have been offered for thischange in plan. The Egyptian archaeologist Nabil Swelimobserved that Userkaf’s pyramid would not fit at thenortheast corner of Djoser’s complex unless the pyramidtemple was moved to the south side. He regards this layoutas the result of practical problems. The alternativeexplanation connects the role that the sun-god Re playedin the beliefs of the kings of the Fifth Dynasty with thischange in plan. According to this explanation, Re becamemuch more important to the Fifth-dynasty kings.This importance can be deduced from their efforts tobuild the first temples for this god and from some muchlater literary evidence linking Userkaf and his successorswith Re. Thus the pyramid temple’s placement at thesouth side of the pyramid ensured that it had an unobstructedview of the sun. The German archaeologist DieterArnold has further observed, however, thatbeginning with the time of Djoser and then Sneferu, OldKingdom kings alternated between building a templecomplex oriented north/south (the Djoser type) andcomplexes oriented east/west (the Meidum type). Withoutfurther evidence it will never be clear which of theseexplanations is closer to the truth. Another importantpoint to consider is the relationship between the kingsof the Fourth and Fifth Dynasties. The kings of the FifthDynasty seem to represent a new family in that they werenot direct descendents of Shepseskaf, the last king of theFourth Dynasty. In Papyrus Westcar, a story writtennearly 900 years after these events, the writer claims thatUserkaf’s father was the sun-god, Re, not a human. Ifthis papyrus reflects an older tradition original to theFifth Dynasty, perhaps Userkaf built his pyramid inSaqqara to associate himself with the earlier king, Djoser,whose pyramid complex was nearby. This tradition alsohelps explain Userkaf’s sun temple at Abu Sir.USERKAF’S SUN TEMPLE AT ABU SIR. Old Kingdomdocuments mention six sun temples dating to eachof the six kings of the Fifth Dynasty. The oldest of thetemples is Userkaf’s sun temple at Abu Sir. The only otherone to be discovered and excavated is the sun temple builtby Nyuserre, the fifth king of the dynasty (ruled2455–2425 B.C.E.). Userkaf’s sun temple represents thefirst known effort of an Egyptian king to build a templeother than his own funerary monument. Userkaf built30 Arts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.)