- The Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt is generally described as the period from the Third Dynasty through to the Sixth Dynasty (2686 BC-2181 BC), although there is still some debate regarding the start and finish dates of the Old Kingdom.
- This period was followed by the First Intermediate Period, when central authority declined and the country fragmented into different factions. However, a number of Egyptologists also include the Memphite Seventh and Eighth Dynasties in the Old Kingdom because there is evidence that Memphis retained a fairly high degree of control over much of the country.
- A huge number of pyramids were constructed, and so the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as "the Pyramid Age".
- Djoser established his royal court in Memphis at the beginning of the Third Dynasty.
- He also built the Step Pyramid at Saqqara with the help of his famous vizier, Imhotep, and so began the trend of building pyramids.
- The Fourth Dynasty saw the construction of the Pyramids at Giza including the Great Pyramid and the sphinx. This period marked the height of pharaonic power during the Old Kingdom.
- However, it is thought that the Fifth Dynasty pharaoh Userkhaf initiated reforms that weakened both the Pharaoh and central government.
- These reforms and the strain put on the treasury by the building works of the previous dynasty may have combined with poor innundations and a growth in the power of nomarchs to cause the demise of the Old Kingdom as central authority crumbled and power returned to local rulers.
- Queen was the wife of Sahure, a pharaoh of the fifth dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Her name means "the beautiful two ladies", referring to Wadjet and Nekhbet the patrons of upper and lower Egypt.
- The building of pyramids would not have been possible without a flourishing economy and a strong central government.
- Royal estates throughout the country centralised and provided the necessary resources that were needed in the construction of pyramid complexes