Justin James has compiled a short backgroud on Abusir for anybody unfamiliar with the site. As things progress, we may develop this over the coming weeks, but things are a bit pushed right now!
- Located in Lower Egypt near modern Cairo
- Ancient Egyptian pr wsir (House or Temple of Osiris), Greek Busiris
- North of Saqqara, served as an elite cemetery for officials based in Memphis, though whether Saqqara and Abusir were regarded as separate localities by the ancient Egyptians is debatable
- Particularly active in the Old Kingdom, especially from reign of Userkaf onward
- Royal pyramids of the 5th Dynasty and several smaller pyramids (like Queen Khentkhawes)
- Kings:
- Sahure
- Niuserre
- Neferirkare
- Abusir Papyri from the mortuary complex serve as a vital source of information on the administration of royal mortuary complexes, temple endowments, etc.
- Pyramid town grew up within the mortuary complex
- Sun temples of the 5th Dynasty (probable location, not confirmed)
Online resources:
Wikipedia (including useful map): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abusir
Map of necropolis: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Abusir_map.png
Waseda University excavation: http://www.waseda.jp/prj-egypt/sites/Abusir-E.html
http://www.saqqara.nl/excavations/other-excavations/japanese-excavations-at-abusir-saqqara
Tour Egypt: http://www.touregypt.net/abusir.htm
Ancient Egypt Site: http://www.ancient-egypt.org/index.html
Czech excavations: http://egypt.cuni.cz/excavations.htm
Publications:
D. Arnold. Royal Cult Complexes of the Old and Middle Kingdoms in Temples in Ancient Egypt, ed. B ShaeferCornell University Press, Ithaca, N.Y., 1997.
M. Verner “Remarks on the Pyramid of Neferirikare” MDAIK 1991
© Justine James, 2011