The Old Kingdom (3rd–6th dynasties, 27th–22nd centuries BC) was the period that saw the construction of the pyramids, a material reflection of the ideological deification of the ruler. The fragments of wall reliefs come from the tombs (mastabas) of the 5th- and 6th-dynasty nobility situated in extensive necropolises around the pyramids. They included limestone blocks carrying a relief composition on the theme of driving cattle that come from the tomb of Hunefer in the Giza necropolis (24th dynasty), fragments of a slab with an incised depiction from the façade of the tomb of Merira-Ankh (Abusir(?), 24th–23rd century BC).
In a showcase on the right there is a sculptural depiction of a married couple¸ the administrator Ankhudjes and his wife Iynefretef, a typical monument of its kind from the late 5th or early 6th dynasty (mid-24th century BC).
Here too you can see examples of Egyptian writing from various periods. There are hieroglyphic inscriptions on stone slabs and cylindrical seals, examples of the cursive hieratic script and of the demotic writing that appeared in the Late Period. An idea of the tools and materials used for writing is provided by an inkwell, a pen case, a mortar for grinding ink, sharpened rods, fragments of papyrus and scrolls.
The following showcase contains fragments of reliefs, altars dating from the end of the Old Kingdom and the First Intermediate period, which was ushered in by the break-up and decline of the united Egyptian state.
