| Term | Time | Provenance | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schist statue of King Userkhaf | 2460 BC | Abusir | |
| Pyramid complex of King Sahura | |||
| Relief from funerary temple of King Sahura | |||
| Limestone relief of King Sahura | A magnificent example of having a large focal figure with rows of smaller figures. The depiction of the desert hunt of King Sahure was originally in the corridor south of the pyramid temple’s central courtyard. The simple figural lineup in front of a large image of the king has been transformed into a densely packed mass of animals in a myriad of postures, groupings, direction and overlaps — wounded, dying and frightened. | ||
| Sun temple of King Neuserra | Abusir | ||
| Relief from the sun temple of Neuserra | Abusir | ||
| Pyramid texts of King Unas | Saqqara | Located within his burial chamber, this was the first appearance of the Pyramid Texts. | |
| Limestone relief of goddess suckling King Wenis |
| Entrance Colonnade | This was the first use of columns, with engaged columns on either side of the pathway. Their design was thought to mimic bundles of reeds, which would have been their predecessor. |
|---|---|
| South Tomb | The South Tomb was the entrance to numerous decorated burial chambers. These burial chambers were thought to store goods. The designs consistently mimicked plants — such as the stone flourishes thought to emulate rolled up reed mats. |
| Great Court | The Great Court was an open space within the Djoser enclosure with decorated interior walls and Heb sed ‘B’ boundary markers. |
| Pyramid | The pyramid itself, the first pyramid, was made of limestone blocks. It began as a mastaba, and subsequent mastabas were built atop it to create a stepped pyramid. It had a complex substructure with numerous chambers. |
| Heb Sed Court | The Heb sed court had shrines, with each thought to draw upon design elements from Lower and Upper Egypt. The stone architecture continued to recreate organic materials (eg, matting, reeds, etc). |
| Meidum Pyramid | Built at Meidum, this was the first pyramid of Snefru. Began as a seven-step pyramid and expanded to eight steps. Exterior casing added to create a true pyramid. |
|---|---|
| Bent Pyramid | Built at Dashur, this was the second pyramid of Snefru. Also known as the Northern Stone Pyramid. |
| Red Pyramid | Built at Dashur, third pyramid of Snefru, and first true accomplished pyramid. |
| Term | Time | Provenance | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramids of King Snefru | He first built the Meidum Pyramid (a stack of mastabas whose outer case collapsed); followed by the Bent Pyramid at Dashur (whose incline was changed midway to avoid collapse); and the first true pyramid ever, the North Pyramid (née Red Pyramid) at Dashur. | ||
| Bent pyramid of King Snefru | |||
| Red pyramid of King Snefru | The pyramid temple of Snefru’s North Pyramid (née Red Pyramid) heralded the first pillared court with statue sanctuary behind it. These two developments were continued by his successor King Khufu. | ||
| Relief from valley temple of King Snefru | Dashur | Women in a row providing offerings. | |
| Painted limestone statues of Rahotep and Nefret | Dynasty IV | These statues are a crucial step toward realistic representation. The statues of Rahotep (a son of King Snefru) and Nefret are nearly lifesize. Individuality arise from the nude torso, facial features, dress details, rich polychromy and inlaid eyes. | |
| Statue of King Khufu | |||
| Ivory statuette of King Khufu | Abydos | ||
| Gneiss head of King Khafre | |||
| Valley temple of King Khafre | A gigantic limestone building cased in granite with granite pillars and architraves. Located on the bank of a canal, the valley temple had an enormous quay and platform to allow boats to land i front of the building. A transverse entrance hall with two gates and a T-shaped interior pillared hall made for a remarkable entry. Sockets in the alabaster pavement indicate the installation of twenty-three seated statues, included a complete preserve statue of Khafre with the falcon behind his head — a depiction of him being transformed into Horus. | ||
| Painted limestone statue of Ankhaef | Dynasty IV | An emerging trend that stressed sensitivity to modeling, softness and a taste for detail. The bust’s delicate, subtle and precise modeling conjures the weary and wise visage of King Khafre’s vizier. Few other nonroyal statues from Dynasty IV are so securely dated. | |
| Graywacke triad of king Menkaure | Dynasty IV | Giza | Bodywise, King Menkaure is depicted with very broad and muscular shoulders, a modeled chest, a line between the abdominal muscles and a pinched waist above his navel. The females are depicted with small breasts, a pinched waist, elongated hips and an accented pubic triangle. Facewise, King Menkaure is depicted with hooded eyes with rimmed lids, a shortened forehead and large lips with a deep line between them; the females are depicted with large ears projected forward and wide rounded lip corners. |
| Limestone statue of seated scribe | Dynasty IV | Sharply different from royal models are statues of scribes. Great emphasis is placed on their weight, a sign of education and status and the sedentary opulence which ensues. |
| Term | Time | Provenance | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pyramid of Djoser | Saqqara | ||
| Limestone statue of King Djoser | Dynasty III | Saqqara | |
| Relief of Djoser from burial chamber | Characterized by broad shoulders, a narrow and low waist and finely modeled musculature in the legs. | ||
| Red Granite Statue of Ankhwa | 2650 BC | Saqqara | One of the earliest statues of a non-royal person. The statue is static, frontal and idealized. Granite was quarried by the king, so this stone was likely given to Ankhwa as a gift and it was probably sculpted in a royal workshop. (British Museum) |
| Term | Time | Provenance | Overview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painted limestone statue of Katep and Hetepheres | 2300 BC | Giza | Links: British Museum. |
| Pyramid complex of King Teti | |||
| Calcite statue of King Pepy I | |||
| Copper statues of King Pepy I | Dynasty 6 | Hierakonpolis | A statue of Pepy I made by hammering strips of copper against a wooden statue and the soldering together the copper strips to form a hollow copper statue. |
| Calcite statue of King Pepy II and Queen Ankhnesmerira | 2240 BC | Saqqara | He came to the throne perhaps as early as age five, and the statuette shows him as a child on the lap of his mother. Despite his young age, he is depicted as a miniature adult due to the contradiction of meanings in showing a king as a child. Notably, his mother has the image of the falcon god Horus (?) directly on the back of her head, the first instance of such an intimate connectino. |
| Period or Event | King | Time-Frame | Overview |
| Old Kingdom | 2700-2200 BC | 2575-2125 BC | The Old Kingdom was a stable and prosperous period that followed Egypt’s development during the Early Dynastic Period. Government power was held by the king, who was regarding as more divine than in any other period. The state religion focused on the sun-god Re, especially in the Fifth Dynasty when special solar temples were erected at Abu Gurab. From this date onwards every king bore the title Son of Re. Expeditions were sent outside Egypt’s frontiers to obtain goods. Copper was mined in Sinai; diorite was brought in from quarries in Nubia; and trade was conducted with the Near East. Some tomb inscriptions of Sixth Dynasty nobles describe in detail the expeditions they commanded, some using force and others peace. Under the strain of reduced central authority and growing provincial power, the Old Kingdom collapsed at the end of the Sixth Dynasty following the long reign of King Pepi II. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third Dynasty | 2650-2575 BC | ||
| Djoser | 2630-2611 BC | Djoser built the Djoser Complex, his tomb at Saqqara. It was designed by the architect Imhotep and had the first pyramid as well as first use of columns. | |
| Fourth Dynasty | 2575-2450 BC | ||
| Snefru | Snefru built three pyramids — the Meidum Pyramid (exterior casing collapsed) at Meidum; the Bent Pyramid (the incline was changed midway to avoid collapse) at Dashur; and the Red Pyramid (first true accomplished pyramid ever) at Dashur. | ||
| Khufu | Khufu built the first and largest pyramid on the Giza plateau. | ||
| Radjedef | |||
| Khafre | Built the second pyramid at Giza. Despite being smaller, it was built on a higher elevation and its causeway passed the sphinx and led to a valley temple at the feet of the sphinx. Looking at the sphinx, his pyramid is visible looming in the background. | ||
| Menkaure | Menkaure built the third pyramid at Giza, which was on a smaller scale than Khafre’s and Khufu’s pyramids at Giza. | ||
| Shepseskaf | |||
| Fifth Dynasty | 2450-2325 BC | ||
| Userkaf | Userkaf built a relatively small pyramid at Saqqara that fell within the enclosure of the Djoser Complex. Subsequent Dynasty V rulers built their complexes at Abusir. | ||
| Sahura | |||
| Neferirkara | |||
| Sheseskara | |||
| Raneferef | |||
| Neuserra | |||
| Menkauhor | |||
| Djedkara | |||
| Unas (Wenis) | Unas and the Dynasty VI kinds built their tombs at Saqqara. The burial chamber of Unas heralded the first appearance of Pyramid Texts. | ||
| Sixth Dynasty | 2325-2125 BC | ||
| Teti | |||
| Pepy I | |||
| Merenra | |||
| Pepy II | |||
| Collapse | |||
| Numerous Kings | |||
Bibliography
Hamiton 2007, xxiii
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