Byrd: "You might also want to consider that there are not three pyramids at Giza. There are 8 smaller pyramids (at least one with inscriptions and the coffin of a queen) plus a number of mastaba pyramids where nobles were buried."


Don't let's loose sight of the fact that there are 3 royal funerary complexes at Giza where the central component of each complex is a massive pyramid - altogether 3 huge pyramids that dominate the Giza plateau.


Byrd: "Each of the pyramids has a temple complex associated with it. To the best of my knowledge there are no texts in any of these that refer to constellations nor do the texts indicate a star to be associated with it (though they do indicate pharaohs.)"


Your statement needs to be seen in the proper context, as its very misleading. The royal cult complexes were built on the east side of the pyramids - but Khufu's cult complex has been completely destroyed - so yes, no texts have been found that refer to constellations, but as only a very few small fragments have survived it should be obvious why!!

Khufu's causeway was apparently covered in reliefs / inscriptions that could have shed light on the royal funerary beliefs, but the causeway has been completely demolished - nothing but a few traces on the ground remain - most of the reliefs and inscriptions are lost - just a few small fragments have been found, and one of these fragments has three stars on it - perhaps a part of the usual decorative stellar theme found in the royal funerary complexes, or part of an inscription that mentions stars.

Khafra's cult complex was long ago stripped of the stone blocks that contained inscriptions - some of these blocks have been discovered reused at Lisht - a block of granite for example has the inscription 'The king of Upper and Lower Egypt' and also Horus in the double crown, but these fragments tell us very little about the king's afterlife beliefs.


The early royal funerary complex with a pyramid as the central component, had a clear stellar theme. Inside Netjerikhet's Dyn 3 mortuary complex, stars covered the ceiling on the inside and outside of the first burial chamber of the 'South' or 'Ka' tomb, and according to Lauer, the ceiling of the main chamber under Netjerkhet's main pyramid, was originally covered with stars. According to Quirke (after Helck) the name of the pyramid was 'Horus is the star at the head of the sky'.

Sneferu (Khufu's father) was the first king who had a true plane-sided pyramid designed and built as a central architectural element in his mortuary cult. A band of five-pointed stars was carved above the openings to each naos containing a statue of Snefru in the Valley Temple of his southern pyramid at Dahshur.

The portico in the mortuary complex of Sahura (2nd king of Dyn 5), was covered with yellow stars on a blue background. The royal cult complex on the east side of the pyramid contained a five-niched chapel located between the open court and the pyramid. Its ceiling was covered with stars. The ceiling in the Valley Temple was painted with stars.


Some Dyn. 4 pyramids have names linked with stars - the name of the pyramid of Khufu's son and successor Djedefra was 'Djedefre is a shining star' (Strudwick) or 'Djedefre is a sehed-star' (Edwards). A probable grandson of Khufu had a pyramid with the name 'Nebka is a Star'. Edwards concludes that these names "clearly associate their owners with an astral after-life." (Edwards 1985 (1948): 282)

The true meaning and implications of these explicitly stellar names and 'decorative' stellar themes, only become apparent in the earliest surviving royal funerary texts inscribed within pyramids from the end of Dyn 5. Unis the king, purified himself with the cool water of the stars and bathed in the starry firmament §138, the 'Imperishable Stars' raised Unas aloft §139, and Unas guided the 'Imperishable Stars' §373. Unas was born as a star, and he appeared as a star §262. Unas opened his place in the sky among the stars of the sky, for he was the Lone or Unique Star §251. Atum, the 'father' of Unas, assigned Unas to the excellent and wise gods, the 'Imperishable Stars' §380. He was a son of Sopdet (personification of Sirius, the brightest star in their sky) §458, and was given a warrant as Great Power by Sah (Orion), 'father of the gods' §408.


No inscriptions have been found inside the three royal funerary complexes at Giza that can shed much light on the king's afterlife beliefs - a few statuary inscriptions give some clues, but the earliest inscriptions with a comprehensive set of the royal afterlife beliefs are the Pyramid Texts inscribed in the Dyn 5 pyramid of Unis, and they have many references to stars and distinctive star patterns including Orion (sAH), Sirius (spdt) and the 'Plough' / 'Big Dipper' (msxtjw).

In the overall context of Dyn 3 - 6, there was a clear stellar aspect to the royal afterlife beliefs.

CT