Au cours du XXe siècle, trois lots d’archives ont été découverts dans des temples funéraires royaux à Abousir. Ces archives, datant pour la majeure partie du règne de Djedkarê-Isesi, forment un témoignage particulièrement précieux pour quiconque veut analyser l’état du pouvoir à cette période. Aussi, afin de réétudier les règnes de la fin de la Ve dynastie, il a été nécessaire de proposer en toute première étape un nouveau catalogue raisonné de cet important corpus papyrologique et d’établir une nouvelle classification typologique. Nous distinguons les décrets royaux, les inventaires de mobilier cultuel, les tableaux de service, les bordereaux de réception, les comptes de distribution et les miscellanées. Cette recension a permis de nouvelles observations, notamment une reconstitution complète des décrets royaux retrouvés dans ces temples. Une étude s’est consacrée ensuite aux règnes de Menkaouhor, Djedkarê et Ounas : les particularités présentées par leur complexes funéraires respectifs ont été examinées, comme la question du comput des années de règne, qui pourrait correspondre à un cycle octaétérique. L’examen de la généalogie royale permet de supposer des successions de règne calmes et non contestées. L’analyse des archives d’Abousir nous renseigne sur le fonctionnement des temples funéraires, les gestes cultuels et les festivités qui y sont réalisés, ainsi que sur la composition de leur personnel. Ces données administratives révèlent un système économique complexe mis en place pour alimenter ces cultes funéraires royaux, qui met en exergue un discours politico-religieux spécifique, à l’origine d’une nouvelle définition de la royauté. / During the 20th century, 3 sets of archives were discovered in royal funerary temples at Abousir. These archives, dating from the reign of Djedkare, are a particularly valuable testimony for anyone who wants to analyze the state of power at this time. Also, in order to re-study the reigns of the end of the Vth dynasty, it was necessary to propose in the very first stage a new typological catalog of this important papyrological corpus. We distinguished royal decrees, inventories of religious furniture, service rulings, receipts, distribution accounts and other variae. This review has led to new observations, including a complete reconstitution of the royal decrees found in these archives. A study was then devoted to the reigns of Menkaouhor, Djedkare and Unas: the specificities presented by their respective funeral complexes were examined, as the question of the comput of ruling years, which could correspond to an octaeteric cycle. The examination of the royal genealogy allows us to suppose calm and undisputed successions. The analysis of the archives of Abousir tells us about the functioning of the funerary temples, the religious gesture and the festivities which are realized there, as well as the composition and organization of the personnel. These administrative data reveal a complex economic system put in place to support these royal funerary cults, which highlights a specific politico-religious discourse which determines a new definition of kingship.

1 The Pyramid Complex of Djedkare-Isesi at South Saqqara and its Decorative Program Mohamed Megahed Abstract The present thesis aims to publish pyramid complex of King Djedkare and its decorative program for the first time. The rule of King Djedkare was very significant and many important changes happened in the Egyptian state during his time. He is known to have reorganized the royal mortuary cults of his predecessors in Abusir; the remains of the papyrus archives discovered in three mortuary temples in Abusir are to a great extent related to this reorganization, as most of the preserved papyrus fragments come from the time of this king. Besides the other available evidence from his reign, numerous finds were discovered in the king's pyramid complex, which have, however, not been published until now. These include fragments of relief decoration and the present study thus can help us better understand and interpret the development of royal relief at the end of the Fifth Dynasty. The thesis is divided into five chapters, the first chapter provides a guideline to the thesis and its catalogue, and presents an up to date state of research on the decoration of the royal mortuary complexes of the Old Kingdom. Another section in this chapter is devoted to the methods that the author followed during his...