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The Old Kingdom is a continuation of the
Early Dynastic Period, including the 4th dynasty (2575 - 2465
BC), the 5th dynasty (2465 - 2323 BC) and the 6th dynasty (2323
- 2150 BC). In the 4th century there were many religious,
political and cultural changes. Is the period where the pyramids
that have smooth surfaces where built. That change resulted from
the solar religious views and from the technological
development. The pyramids construction was possible due to the
government of those times, which was a strong one, and due to a
prosperous economy. The necessary resources for the pyramids
building were provided by the royal estates. The private tombs
built in that period in the vicinity of the royal pyramids are
decorated with objects of a high quality which shows the status
and the wealth of the kings and pharaohs that own that pyramids.
Also, the objects found in the tombs tell a lot about the
everyday life of the Egyptians in that period. The 5th dynasty
is the period when the solar religion was really established,
when beside the pyramids were made solar temples. The
decorations of the pharaohs` tomb are even richer and
sophisticated. The tombs of some private persons were built in
the province of the owners. The first pyramid with texts inside
of it is made by the king Unas; the texts are about the king's
afterlife. The 6th dynasty represents the beginning of the Old
Kingdom's decline. The king's power decayed because of the power
was centralized to the local and central administrations.
Another cause was the decreasing of the Nile inundations which
lead to some misunderstandings between the central government
and the local governors and administrators. The Old Kingdom
end came with the 7th and the 8th dynasties` kings. |
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