CAIRO, EGYPT—Ahram Online reports that more than half of the sun temple of the pharaoh Niuserre, who ruled from about 2420 to 2389 B.C. during the 5th Dynasty, has been uncovered in the Abusir necropolis. The monumental temple complex once covered more than 10,000 square feet, according to Massimiliano Nuzzolo of the University of Turin and Rossana Perilli of the University of Naples. This year, the excavation has revealed the entrance to the temple, the building’s original floor, the base of a limestone column, parts of a granite column thought to have been part of the entrance portico, and granite doorframes and lintels. One massive threshold in the building had been inscribed with a hieroglyphic calendar of the temple’s religious festivals and references to Niuserre. A ramp that likely connected the temple to the Nile River or one of its branches was also found. Artifacts recovered from the temple include two wooden playing pieces from the ancient game of Senet, Nuzzolo added. To read more about Niuserre and other 5th Dynasty pharaohs, go to "In the Reign of the Sun Kings."
