Abusir
Location | Egypt |
---|---|
Region | Giza Governorate |
Coordinates | 29°54′N 31°12′E / 29.9°N 31.2°E |
Criteria | Cultural: (i)(iii)(vi) |
Designated | 1979 (3rd session) |
Part of | Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur |
Reference no. | 86-002 |
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Busiri in hieroglyphs | |||||
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Abusir (
The pyramid complex is named after the neighbouring village of Abusir, in the markaz (county) of Badrashin, Giza.[2] The Abusir pyramid complex is located on the Western Desert plateau at the edge of the cultivated plain, with the Giza Pyramids to its north, and Saqqara to its south, and served as one of the main elite cemeteries for the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis. Several other villages in northern and southern Egypt are named Abusir or Busiri.
The locality of Abusir took its turn as the focus of the prestigious western burial rites operating out of the then-capital of Memphis during the
Abusir was the origin of the largest find of
The Czech Institute of Egyptology of the
There are considerable
Necropolis
Earliest tombs on the site are from the Early Dynastic Period, First Dynasty. Tombs, including stairway tombs, were uncovered north of pyramid field.[3]
There are a total of 4 kings' pyramids at this site, which served as the main royal necropolis during the Fifth Dynasty. The quality of construction of the Abusir pyramids is inferior to those of the Fourth Dynasty; perhaps signalling a decrease in royal power or a less vibrant economy. They are smaller than their predecessors, and are built of low quality local stone. All of the major pyramids at Abusir were built as step pyramids, although the largest of them—the Pyramid of Neferirkare—is believed to have originally been built as a step pyramid some seventy metres in height and then later transformed into a "true" pyramid by having its steps filled in with loose masonry.
Complete list of excavated structures until the year 2019 is available in this article.[4] The map is also published online as a searchable application.[5]
Major pyramids
The three major royal pyramids are
- the earliest, Pyramid of Sahure, known for its finely carved reliefs
- the Pyramid of Neferirkare Kakai, the tallest pyramid at the site
- the Pyramid of Niuserre, the most intact pyramid at the site
The two unfinished royal pyramids are
- the incomplete Pyramid of Neferefre[6]
- the unfinished pyramid of Shepseskare? [7]
Smaller pyramids
- the pyramid of Queen Khentkaus II, wife of Neferirkare and mother of Neferefre and Niuserre[8]
- Lepsius Pyramid no. 24 — The pyramid belonged to a woman, likely a queen. The name of the vizier Ptahshepses appears among builders' marks, which dates the pyramid to the time of Pharaoh Nyuserre [7]
- Lepsius Pyramid no. 25 — Likely the pyramid of a queen from the Fifth Dynasty [7]
Mastabas of courtiers
The tombs of several high officials and family members are located in the direct vicinity of their king's pyramid:
- the mastaba of Ptahshepses (vizier under Nyuserre)[9]
Four mastabas south-east of the pyramid complex of Raneferef create a so-called "Nakthsare" cemetery, presumably tombs of the persons related to King Raneferef:
- the mastaba of Prince Nakhtsare (son of Raneferef or Nyuserre)
- the mastaba of "count" Kakaibaef
- the mastaba of Queen Khentkaus III, likely a spouse of Raneferef
- the mastaba of anonymous owner AS 31
Abusir South
Directly north of Saqqara is a cemetery of lower-ranking officials of the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom. The earliest First Dynasty tombs are on the so-called "Bonnet cemetery" named after Hans Bonnet, who published the site.[10] It was excavated in 1910 by Georg Steindorff and Uvo Hölscher. Recently, copper artefacts in the collection of Leipzig University, from the site, were studied. One vessel, ÄMUL 2162, was made of a peculiar material, arsenical copper with nickel, which could be imported to Egypt.[11]
The Old Kingdom cemetery at Abusir South includes the following tombs:
- the tomb of Ity (early Fourth Dynasty)[12]
- the tomb of Hetepi (priest, beginning of Third Dynasty)[13]
- the tomb of Nyankhseshat (property custodian of the king, early Fourth Dynasty), with a stela of a Fifth-Dynasty official Sekhemka and his presumed spouse Henutsen[14]
- the tomb of Kaaper (architect and priest, early Fifth Dynasty)[12]
- the tomb of Rahotep (priest, end of Fifth Dynasty)
- the tomb of Fetekti (priest, end of Fifth Dynasty)
- the tomb of Qar and his sons (vizier, early Sixth Dynasty, sons from late Sixth Dynasty, reign of Pepi II Neferkare)[15]
- the rock cut tomb of New Kingdom Nakhtmin (charioteer)[16]
Saite-Persian cemetery
On a small hill directly south of the pyramid of Neferefre is a cemetery of tombs from the Saite period:
- the tomb of Udjahorresnet[17]
- the tomb of Iufaa[18]
- the tomb of Menekhibneko[19]
- the tomb of Padihor
- tomb R3
A temple
Also found at Abusir were substantial remains of a Ramesside temple, perhaps built by
Site looting during 2011 protests
Abusir, Saqqara and Dahshur suffered damage by looters during the
Climate
.Climate data for Abusir | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 19.6 (67.3) |
21.2 (70.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
29 (84) |
32.9 (91.2) |
35.3 (95.5) |
35.5 (95.9) |
35.2 (95.4) |
32.9 (91.2) |
30.7 (87.3) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.4 (70.5) |
28.7 (83.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.5 (56.3) |
14.5 (58.1) |
17.5 (63.5) |
21.1 (70.0) |
24.8 (76.6) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.4 (83.1) |
28.3 (82.9) |
26.2 (79.2) |
24.1 (75.4) |
19.8 (67.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.4 (45.3) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.6 (51.1) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16.8 (62.2) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.3 (70.3) |
21.4 (70.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
17.5 (63.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
9.4 (48.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 4 (0.2) |
3 (0.1) |
2 (0.1) |
1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.1) |
4 (0.2) |
16 (0.7) |
Source: Climate-Data.org, altitude: 18m[26] |
See also
- Memphite Necropolis
- List of ancient Egyptian towns and cities
- List of ancient Egyptian sites, including sites of temples
- Double Pyramid
- List of megalithic sites
References
- ^ "Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ "Markaz al-Badrashin Map". www.giza.gov.eg. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Radwan, Ali (1991). "Ein Treppengrab der 1. Dynastie aus Abusir". Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo. 47: 305–308.
- ^ Bárta, Miroslav; Brůna, Vladimír; Bareš, Ladislav; Krejčí, Jaromír; Dulíková, Veronika; Odler, Martin; Vymazalová, Hana (2020). "Map of archaeological features in Abusir" (PDF). Prague Egyptological Studies. 25: 7–34.
- ^ Brůna, Vladimír (2019). "Map of the archaeological objects in Abusir". Retrieved 1 May 2023.
- ISBN 978-80-200-1357-6.
- ^ ISBN 0-8021-3935-3
- ISBN 978-80-7066-909-9.
- ISBN 978-80-200-1728-4.
- ^ Bonnet, Hans (1928). Ein frühgeschichtliches Gräberfeld bei Abusir (in German) (1 ed.). Leipzig: Hinrichs’sche Buchhandlung.
- – via Elsevier Science Direct.
- ^ ISBN 978-80-86277-18-9.
- ISBN 978-80-7308-325-0.
- ISSN 1015-5104.
- ISBN 978-80-87025-21-5.
- ^ Daoud, Khaled Abdalla; Farag, Sabry; Eyre, Christopher J. (2016). "Nakht-Min: Ramesses II's charioteer and envoy". Egyptian Archaeology. 48: 9–13.
- ISBN 978-80-7184-822-6.
- ISBN 978-80-7308-238-3.
- ISBN 978-80-7308-380-9.
- ^ M. Bárta, L. Varadzin, J. Janák, J. Mynářová, V. Brůna: The temple of Ramesses II in Abusir, in Egyptian Archaeology, Spring 2018, 52, 10-14
- ^ "Abusir Necropolis | Ancient Egypt Online". Retrieved 2022-07-25.
- ^ Odler, Martin; Peterková Hlouchová, Marie; Arias Kytnarová, Katarína; Havelková, Petra (2018). "New Egyptian tomb type found at Abusir South? Report on the excavations of mud brick complex AS 103" (PDF). Prague Egyptological Studies. 21: 27–34.
- ^ "Egyptological Looting Database 2011".
- ^ "iDNES.cz".
- .
- ^ a b "Climate: Abu Sir - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table". Climate-Data.org. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
External links
- Czech Institute of Egyptology: Abúsír, the site
- Interactive map of the archaeological structures in Abusir
- Prague Egyptological Studies, online open access journal with the latest research from Abusir site
- Egyptian monuments: Abusir Necropolis
- Waseda University Expedition to Abusir South Archived 2018-10-01 at the Wayback Machine