The Pyramid of Teti
The Pyramid of Userkaf in the foreground and Tetiīs in the distance.
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Teti was the first king of the 6th Dynasty. His queen Iput was probably daughter to Unas and mother to Pepi I. In the vicinity, there are mastabas for high officials who served under both Teti and Unas, one of them being the vizier Mereruka, who was married to the Kingīs eldest daughter. In time, Mereruka became the high priest of Tetiīs mortuary cult.
His pyramid is located just northeast of the pyramid of Userkaf and south of the 1st Dynasty tombs and mastabas. Both a valley temple and a causeway is missing, which is puzzling. The structure is the same as in most of the late 5th dynasty pyramids and the measures are almost identical with the pyramid of Djedkare Isesi and the following three rulers.
It was built in steps, today some blocks of the outer casing is still to be seen on the east side, but the whole pyramid is just a mound, being robbed for material in ancient times. The entrance is on the centre axis, with a chapel built over it. Inside, a sloping passage with steps, here follows a chamber with a horizontal passage in which there are three portculli. The antechamber is placed under the center of the structure and the burial chamber lies to the west while there is a room with three niches to the east. In the burial chamber, is a well preserved basalt sarcophagus, with parts of the Pyramid Texts carved in a band around it.
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This is the first sarcophagus found with decorations. Its lid had been broken by robbers and only few remains of the mummy was found. Also on the walls on both the burial chamber, the antechamber and parts of the passage are the Pyramid Texts, but in far worse condition than the ones at the Unas pyramid.
The Mortuary Temple
There isnīt much left of the mortuary temple, most of it was robbed for stone already in antiquity. Its entrance lay in the south-east corner, maybe because there was an already existing pyramid in the way. (Lepsius XXIX). It seems to follow tha same standards as Djedkare and Unas. Here was found a plaster mummy maks but itīs not certain it was from the king. There was a long narrow corridor which led into a vestubule with the ceiling decorated with stars. Then there was a court with 18 square granite columns and an altar of alabaster with reliefs on it. On both sides of the court were magasines. There was also a short stairway of alabaster which led to a room with five niches, all of them with their walls destroyed. But every niche had double-leaf doorways with frames of granite. The offering room had a single column and a vaulted roof and was entered via a vestibule and a square ante-room. Towards the west end, where the pyramid is, was a false door with reliefs of limestone.
The causeway as well as the Valley Temple are lost.
Photo: www.egyptarchive.co.uk
There was the usual satellite pyramid in the standard location, south of the mortuary temple. Itīs court had two libation basins made of red quartzite on the east side. A third one was located to the west, made of limestone and a fourth one was placed to the north.
The Pyramid of Iput
It is believed that Queen Iputīs tomb originally was a mastaba, which was later changed into a pyramid, because there is no entrance. It was built over a vertical mastaba shaft and the burial room. On the north side there was a small red false door of granite, which was part of an entrance chapel. Another chapel lay on the east side with a court and a statue room with three niches. Thre was also an offering room with an offering stone in granite and a false door of limestone.
Iputīs sarcophagus held remains of a cedar coffin. There was the sceleton of a woman in middle age and five canopic jars, a necklace, bracelets and a headrest. There was also among the rests of models of copper toolstools covered with gold leaf and vessels of alabaster, a small table with names of different sacred oils.
There was a small moprtuary temple on the eastern side. It had a chapel, a court and a chamber with three niches. There was also an altar with the inscription of Iput being the mother of Pepi I in the western wall of the offering room. Here was also a false door of limestone.
The Pyramid of Khuit (Kawit)
There are few remains of Khuitīs pyramid. It was investigated in the 1920īs at which time it was difficult to identify it as a pyramid with certainty. Later, since 1995it has been excavated by Zahi Hawass, has led to the conclusion that this is the pyramid of Queen Khuit. There wer underground chambers and a mortuary temple on the eastern side, with an offering room, an altar and a false door.
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