After the giant pyramids of Giza, the kings of the 5th Dynasty (c. 2494–2345 BC) built smaller pyramids and put more of their wealth into something else: the cult of the sun god Ra.
Key idea
Sun temples
A sun temple was open to the sky. In its court stood a squat obelisk on a high base, a symbol of the sun, with a large altar in front of it. Only two have been found, at Abu Gurob near Abusir: Userkaf's and Niuserre's. Records name six. Their pyramids, at Abusir and Saqqara, were smaller and less solidly built than the Giza pyramids, but their temples were richly decorated with reliefs.
Why it works
The Pyramid Texts
Inside Unas's pyramid, columns of blue-painted hieroglyphs cover the walls of the burial chamber and antechamber. They are spells to protect the dead king and help him rise to join the sun god and the stars. Later kings and queens of the 6th Dynasty carved more spells in their pyramids. Some of the spells may be much older than Unas, but his is the first pyramid where they were written down. Records of temple business survive from this dynasty too, in the Abusir papyri.
Worked example: Where are the texts?
- Khufu belongs to the 4th Dynasty, c. 2589–2566 BC.
- The Pyramid Texts begin with Unas, the last king of the 5th Dynasty, about two centuries later.
- The Great Pyramid's chambers have no carved texts at all.
Answer: No. The Great Pyramid has no inscriptions inside; the texts begin with Unas.
Common mistake