Through the Eras

Architecture and DesignN0 500 m0 1500 ftPyramid ofRaneferefLepsius XXIVLepsius XXVPyramid ofKhentkawesPyramid ofNeferirkareUnfinishedpyramid (ofShepseskare?)Pyramid ofNyuserreAbusir lakeSun temple of NyuserreSun templeof UserkafPyramid ofSahureMap of Abu Sir. CREATED BY GGS INFORMATION SERVICES. GALE.the interior of a nobleman’s tomb, suggesting that Sahureregarded himself more like other high officials than didthe kings of the Fourth Dynasty who claimed to be gods.The architect’s plan for Sahure’s pyramid complex becamethe standard for nine of the known complexes ofthe following Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. Arnold suggestedthat this phenomenon resulted from the work ofa series of architects who had inherited the office ofKing’s Architect for many generations, though it is justas likely that this model served the needs of a long lineof kings while they experimented with the sun temples,a new area of focus.THE STANDARD PYRAMID TEMPLE. Architects positionedthe standard pyramid temple on the east side ofthe pyramid, and included a vaulted entrance hall decoratedwith relief sculpture. This covered hall led to anopen courtyard allowing the architect to exploit the contrastbetween the darkness of the hall and the bright sunlightof the court. This contrast, alternating light anddarkness, was a basic tool of all Egyptian architecture.Relief sculpture also decorated the walls of the courtyarddepicting the king protecting Egypt from enemies. Anotherhall led to a room decorated with scenes from theJubilee Festival (sed ). The relief there showed the godsof Upper and Lower Egypt greeting the king and confirminghis right to rule the country. This room offersevidence that the Jubilee Festival depicted in it continuedat the king’s burial complex as it had been knownbeginning with the Jubilee Festival (sed ) courtyard in thefunerary complex of Djoser in the Third Dynasty(2675–2625 B.C.E.). The rear of the pyramid temple heldfive niches for the five statues of the king and an offeringplace. The five statues of the king probably representedeach of the five standard names that a king tookat his coronation. The pyramid temple’s plan thus reflectsan Egyptian’s idea of the proper evidence that aking had ruled legitimately in the eyes of the gods andalso a listing of his functions through the use of sculpturalrelief.THE STANDARD CAUSEWAY AND VALLEY TEMPLE.The standard causeway connected the upper pyramidtemple and the lower valley temple. In the Fifth andSixth Dynasties, remains of relief sculpture lined thewalls of the causeway. Artists represented two basic subjects.First they showed the king protecting the wholecomplex from Egypt’s human enemies and taming nature.Second, they showed humans on earth supplyingthe complex with food from all over Egypt. The architectused three different stones in the valley temple, probablywith color symbolism in mind. The floor was blackbasalt, referring to the black mud of Egypt’s fertile valley.The dado (the lower part of the wall) was red granite,a reference either to the surrounding desert or apunning allusion to holiness, since the Egyptian wordsfor “red” and “holy” sounded alike. Finally, the upperwalls were white Tura limestone, decorated with a carvedand painted relief depicting the king defeating his enemies.The building served as an entrance to the wholecomplex and stood as a statement of the basic order ofthe Egyptian world.USES OF THE PYRAMID COMPLEX. The pyramidcomplexes were primarily tombs for the kings. Yet Egyptologistshave long abandoned the German EgyptologistHerbert Ricke’s theory that the buildings of the complexwere solely for the funeral. The discovery of the AbuSir Papyri, the records of Neferirkare’s pyramid complexsubsequent to the king’s death, provides evidence of thenumerous activities that continued in the complex afterthe burial. The Pyramid Texts found inside the pyramidsbeginning with the reign of Unas (2371–2350 B.C.E.)also inform us about the rituals which continued in thepyramid complex, in the Egyptian ideal, for eternity.There were at least two offering services for the kingevery day—one in the morning and one in the evening.Other rituals centered on the five statues of the kingfound in the five niches of the pyramid temple. At leastthree of these statues depicted the king as the god Osiris,king of the dead. The ritual included feeding, cleaning,and clothing the deceased king. Priests then received thefood used in the ritual as part of their salary. When theywere not attending to their deceased king, priests and32 Arts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.)