Page 50 - اثار مصر الفرعونية2

flanked by magazines led to an open porticoed court, while the
inner section contained statue-chambers and a sanctuary
surrounded by magazines. Several damaged limestone statues of
headless, bound and kneeling prisoners were found in the south-
western part of the temple, destined for the lime-kilns. These
statue may have originally come from the pillared courtyard or
entrance hall where they would have symbolised Pepy's conquest
of evil, or perhaps from the causeway. Remains of a false door
can still be seen in the mortuary temple.

A small satellite pyramid stands at the south-eastern corner
of Pepy's pyramid, better preserved than the mortuary temple,
and although this too is very damaged, remains of the casing
stones, including the pyramidion have been found. Statue and
offering stelae fragments suggest that the cult of Pepy I
continued into the Middle Kingdom. A block-statue was found
among the debris of the mortuary temple, naming one
Smenkhuptah, who was an 'Inspector of Prophets of Pyramid of
PepyI' during the Middle Kingdom.

In 1993 the French Mission found fragments of a restoration
text by khaemwaset (son of Rameses II) on the south side of
Pepy's pyramid, showing that the complex underwent some
restoration work during the New Kingdom after it was
discovered abandoned.

When the French Mission began to look for a queen's

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