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Dynasty Notes

The Sixth Dynasty marks the end of the Old Kingdom-- the powerful, centralized government of Egypt begins to fail, the economics situation declines, the control of the pharaoh over the country has begun a slow, downward spiral into the turmoil of the First Intermediate Period.

This is not to say that there aren't powerful and successful pharaohs in the Sixth Dynasty -- Teti and Pepi II, for example, were strong leaders 9at least at the beginning).

Pyramid building continued, with an almost ritualistic adherence to a "standard size" and layout of the pyramid complex. The pyramids are nowhere near the size or quality of the pyramids at Giza, but they are clustered in Saqqara and mark the next stage of pyramid building. The solar cult of the previous dynasty has faded, and none of the pharaohs in this dynasty are building the great sun temples like the Niuserre, Djedkare, and his contemporaries in Abu Sir.

The pharaohs of the sixth dynasty as well known, and have left many monuments and inscriptions. The traditional chronology for the Sixth dynasty is:

Teti I
Userkare (possibly a usurper)
Pepi I
Merenre I
Pepi II
(possibly) Merenre II
Nitocris
several unattested pharaohs:
Neferka
Nefer
Aba

 

pharaohs

Teti I
Userkare
Pepi I
Merenre I
Pepi II
Merenre II
Nitocris
unattested kings