userkaf.jpg (5725 bytes)Although he started a new dynasty, Userkaf (c.2498 – 2491) was in fact a grandson of Djedefre. To secure his hold on Egypt, he married Khentkawes, Menkaure’s daughter and half-sister of Shepseskaf. Like his predecessor, he built his funerary complex at Saqqara, which was innovative, in that the mortuary temple was to the south of the pyramid, not to the east, as was traditional. This is now seen as being due to the increasing importance of the sun god – in the south, the temple would be bathed in the sun’s rays throughout the day. Although the complex is now ruined and largely inaccessible, limited excavations there have produced a huge pink granite head of Userkaf. Userkaf also built the first of the Solar Temples of Abu-Gurob.

Userkaf was followed by a series of relatively unremarkable kings, Sahure (c.2491 – 2477), Neferirkare (c.2477 – 2467), Shepseskare (c.2467 – 2460), Neferefre (c.2460 – 2453), Niuserre (c.2453 – 2422), Menkauhor (c.2422 – 2414) and Djedkare-Isesi (c.2414 – 2375).

Sahure, Neferirkare and Niuserre all built pyramids at Abusir. Although all are now rubble mounds, Sahure’s mortuary temple is still discernible. Reliefs on the walls show evidence for trading expeditions outside Egypt – ships are shown with both Egyptians and Asiatics on board. These ships are part of an expedition to the Lebanon, searching for cedar logs. This is corroborated by inscriptions found in the Lebanon testifying to an expedition there under Sahure.

Neferirkare introduced the idea of a second cartouche (the circle containing pharaoh’s name), this one containing the birth name. The same king’s mortuary temple also yielded the earliest surviving papyrus script, which contains temple accounts, daily work rosters and equipment lists, thereby giving us a valuable insight into the workings of an Egyptian mortuary temple.

The last of these kings, Djedkare-Isesi, returned his funerary complex to Saqqara. His pyramid is now an 80ft \ 24m high rubble heap. An inscription found inside in 1946 showed that it belonged to Djedkare – hitherto the owner of the pyramid had been unknown, as it had been smashed in antiquity and used as a burial ground in the eighteenth dynasty.

The final king of the fifth dynasty was Unas (c.2375 – 2345). Like Djedkare, he was buried at Saqqara. A description of his pyramid can be found here.

It seems as if Unas died without male issue, prompting a brief period of instability before the sixth dynasty came to prominence.

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