Pyramid of Djedkare-Isesi
The Pyramid of Djedkare (also Pyramid of Djedkare - Asosi or Pyramid of Djedkare - Isesi ), king of the 5th Dynasty (c. 2405-2367 BC), stands at Saqqara -South. It is now called el- Shawaf ( The Guardian ), as she stands on a Felsenvorspung just above the village of Sakkara.
After most of the ruler of the 5th Dynasty were buried in Abusir, Djedkare built his pyramid at Saqqara -South, about six kilometers south of Abusir.
Location
The Pyramid of Djedkare - Isesi located at Saqqara -South, near the grave of the plant Shepseskaf. Like its predecessor Menkauhor was also Djedkare - Isesi his pyramid no longer build in Abusir, where most of the other kings of the 5th Dynasty were buried. Can about the reasons for the change of the necropolis only speculate: the place of the necropolis of Abusir Perhaps this was being exploited, so Menkauhor be had to find a new place, or buried in Saqqara kings came from a different branch of the family as the Abusir - kings. Maybe they were looking quite aware of the proximity to other, older buildings.
Although not Djedkare - Isesi was buried in Abusir, but he reorganized the royal cult of this necropolis. How come most of the administrative documents that were found in Abusir ( the so-called Abusir papyri ), from his reign. In addition, close family members such as Prince and Princess Neserkauhor Chekeretnebti there were buried.
Research
The pyramid is now poorly preserved and only examined deficient. When they visited John Shae Perring First and Karl Richard Lepsius, whose works gave a first, superficial description of the exterior. 1880 Gaston Maspero came in search of a pyramid texts into the chamber system of the pyramid, but could not yet determine the grave owner. When he found no Pyramid Texts, he lost interest in the plant. Abdel Salam Hussein began in 1945 and A. Varille a systematic study of the system in which they make the name of the king locate and ensure that the plant could be clearly assigned to the 5th Dynasty. The early death of the two scientists made it impossible to publish their research results. Ahmed Fakhry led 1951, the excavations continued, with the consent of Vito Maragioglio and Celeste Rinaldi 1977 a first inventory of published and from whose estate Mohamed Moursi published in 1987 more results.
From 1980, Mahmoud Abel Razeh cleaned the northern area of the mortuary temple and discovered coffins made of clay and wood, and residues of snake figures, which date to the New Kingdom and the Late Period. From 2001 headed Bernard Mathieu for the Institut français d' archéologie orientale in Cairo ( IFAO ) two excavation campaigns, where restoration work has been carried out and part of the relief decorations were rescued from the rubble of earlier excavations. Overall, large parts of the plant and finds are not well documented and there are no exact plans.
Architecture
Pyramid
As with the Niuserre pyramid core was built in six stages. The entrance is at ground level, 2.5 meters east of the center of the north side. First time (since the Bent Pyramid ), there are again traces of a small entrance chapel of limestone of 6.71 x 4.69 m in size. To: Rainer Stadelmann was located on the south side of this chapel, probably a false door.
The 9.20 m long, granite -clad, descending passage is still blocked with granite blocks. It leads to an almost horizontal, limestone -lined passage chamber. Next comes another gear and a Fallstein device with three granite stones case and a horizontal counterpart with a slight bend to the east. After a total of 24.5 m length of the aisle reached the antechamber, which is exactly in the center of the pyramid.
East of the pre-chamber is a room with three niches, which is processed relatively crude and not as the pros and burial chamber was lined with fine limestone. Mark Lehner speaks here of three magazines and points out that the development of this feature can be traced already in the Pyramid of Menkaure, the grave of the plant Shepseskaf and Userkaf pyramid. The direct predecessor systems, this space does not occur, but remained solid core holding for the following pyramid complexes. Rainer Stadelmann also thinking of a kind of basement or storage rooms as they had the older pyramids of the 3rd Dynasty: It's at least interesting to observe how, despite the increasingly perfected aboveground cult systems with its dual magazines, suddenly the need for storing there seems to be right next to the funeral. After Peter Jánosi he could have served as a storehouse for certain ritual devices of the afterlife equipment. He was also called " Serdab ", which means inaccessible space is meant to house statues, but this is very controversial.
West of the antechamber is the elongated grave chamber. Pros and burial chamber were heavily destroyed by grave robbers. A gable roof made of three layers of huge limestone rafters covered both chambers. The passage between pre-and main chamber is protected by a stone relieving arch, which is the oldest known, real stone vaults in Egypt, but not detached, but in masonry bond. Off the west wall of the grave chamber was located in a 12 cm deep hollow, a basalt sarcophagus, which can be reconstructed from the lying in the rubble fragments. Also next to a hidden alcove for the canopic chest - was determined. It remains of a mummified man of about 50 years were found, which are regarded as the remains of the ruler. Because of his long reign that would mean that he must have come very young to the throne. Furthermore, were found in the grave chamber alabaster fragments and a Fayenceperle on gold fabric.
Pyramid of Djedkare - Isesi (right) and an " anonymous queen " (left)
Access to the pyramid at the north side
Mortuary Temple
The (not excavated ) causeway leads to the incompletely excavated mortuary temple. The largely unpublished fragments Relief came in their decoration of wealth and beauty of the temples Abusirkönige same. Among these are representations of the king of gods and goddesses, such as Hathor handed him the sign of life, and behind Wadjet and Seth standing. Inlaid eyes were on the representations.
The entrance facade of the mortuary temple is dominated by two massive square tower is massive, Lehner already talking about wall - pylons, at least it could be either precursors of the later pylons. A long vestibule leads into an open courtyard with a palm pillar colonnade of red granite. Small remnants are evidence of an alabaster pavement of the vestibule and courtyard. To either side are symmetrically associated magazines. A door and a small staircase led to a room with five statue niches. This was followed by a square antechamber with a single pillar and victims hall. On both sides of these rooms were magazines. Between mortuary temple and enclosure of the pyramid complex were four large open-air courtyards. In Southern, there was a cult pyramid with a T-shaped base, another served by Lehner and Stadelmann perhaps the slaughter of animals or purification rites, whereupon leave grooves in the pavement close.
Lower still got the end of the causeway and the village of Saqqara behind it ( 2011)
Pillars of the mortuary temple
Fragments of palm columns of the open courtyard of the mortuary temple of Djedkare Pyramid
Pyramid complex of an " anonymous queen "
Northeast of the Great Pyramid is located in a separate enclosure wall of the pyramid an unnamed queen. These " queens pyramid " points ( albeit on a smaller scale ) many standard elements of a royal pyramid on: My own enclosure, victims hall, magazines, a square antechamber with single columns, colonnade, a space at the point at which normally are the five statue niches, and there were even traces that indicate a small cult pyramid. Remarkably, this Queens County (as well as the later queens districts) not have its own causeway and valley temple. From the available relief fragments of the plant there after Peter Jánosi no evidence for an unambiguous assignment of the system to a queen. His review of the architectural characteristics speaks against the total identification as a king complex, but not really for a Königinnananlage. The entire complex thereby takes a special position in the architecture of the pyramid complexes. It can also be assigned from historical- chronological reasons, the system no king of the 5th Dynasty. If you want to plant the other hand, assign a queen, there is the problem that at the end of the 5th dynasty, a royal wife must have played such an important role that you can concede their monumental architecture. But the thematically focused on the kingly office spaces are difficult to explain in a Queens facility.
Mortuary Temple of the Pyramid of " anonymous queen "