After the long reign of Pepi II, which did not result in a larger funerary monument, the Old Kingdom gradually started to collapse. Central government in Memphis lost its control and Egypt fragmented into many, semi-independent and competing states. Memphis itself lost its status as capital and most important city in the country, and this can be noticed at Saqqara as well.

A small pyramid, with a modestly built funerary chapel to the North, was used by Ibi of the 7th/8th Dynasty. He would be the last king to be buried at Saqqara. It is not unlikely, however, that "his" pyramid was originally intended for another king.

Private burials at Saqqara continued for some time after the collapse of the Old Kingdom, but the quality of the tombs and their decoration deteriorated quickly. By the end of the 1st Intermediate Period, burials at Saqqara would almost come to a full stop.

There apparently were no new burials at Saqqara during the Middle Kingdom. This probably was the result of several factors:

• During the Middle Kingdom, Egypt’s capitals were Thebes during the 11th Dynasty and Itj-Tawi in the Fayum-oasis during the 12th. Memphis does not appear to have had any special status at that time. It is thus not surprising that the Egyptian notables preferred other burial sites.

• It is not unlikely that a number of Old Kingdom tombs were re-used. Re-use of older monuments and tombs was not unusual in Egypt.

The number of burials during the 2nd Intermediate Period is very low throughout the whole of Egypt, and with Egypt again fragmented at that time, there appear to have been as good as no new burials at Saqqara.

This was to change with the rise of the New Kingdom and the 18th Dynasty, around 1500 BC. At this time, Egypt turned its attention to beyond its traditional borders, maintaining international relationships and an army ready to defend Egypt’s properties abroad. Even though Thebes was the official capital, at least at the beginning of the 18th Dynasty, Memphis re-gained a lot of its ancient status, becoming one of the prime residences of the royal family and nobility. The old necropolis of Saqqara, practically abandoned for a couple of centuries, would share in Memphis’ newly gained importance.

The cemetery North of Teti’s pyramid, dominated by the old mastabas of Mereruka and Kagemni, was used again. At the same time, we notice that Teti was venerated as a local god at Saqqara, perhaps as the divine protector of the cemetery. Unfortunately, nothing much remains of New Kingdom tombs at this particular cemetery as excavators of the late 19th and early 20th century, interested in finding Old Kingdom tombs, simply discarded more recent finds.

A second New Kingdom necropolis evolved to the South of Unas’ causeway. Burials appear to go back at least to the middle of the 18th Dynasty, but the most beautiful ones are dated to the reigns of Tutankhamun of the 18th and Ramesses II of the 19th Dynasty.

From the time of Tutankhamun come the exquisitely decorated funerary temples and tombs of Horemheb, who at the time of the construction of this tomb was still the supreme general of Tutankhamun’s army, and of chancellor Maya. The mastaba of the Old Kingdom was replaced by a funerary temple shaped like a standard New Kingdom temple, with a massive gate (pylon), some open courts and in the back, the funerary chapel where a statue or relief of the deceased would accept the daily offerings. A shaft from one of the open courts would lead down to the tomb. The tomb of Maya was decorated with finely painted reliefs, equal in quality to the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes.

From the time of Ramesses II comes the tomb of Tia and Tia, brother-in-law and sister of the king. It is even believed that the 4th son of Ramesses II, the highpriest of the Memphite temple of Ptah, Khaemwaset, may have been buried at Saqqara. At least, some ushebties, statues representing the deceased, belonging to Khaemwaset were found there. This is not surprising when one knows that Khaemwaset, who would later become the hero in a cycle of popular tales, showed particular interest in the necropolis of Saqqara. His actions there would forever connect his name to the site. Not only did he restore ancient monuments, as witnessed by the restoration-inscription on the South face of the pyramid of Unas, he also founded or extended, by the orders of his father, the subterranean maze of rooms used for the burial of the sacred Apis bulls. This structure, known today by its Greek name, "Serapeum", would continue to be used and extended until the Greek-Roman Period.Other cemeteries for sacred animals, such as the cow (Isis) or the dog (Anubis) would also be created at Saqqara. In part, these animal-cemeteries would come to play the same role as the royal monuments of the Old Kingdom: they would become the central points for private cemeteries that evolved around them.
(Jacques Kinnaer)