The structures associated with royal pyramids of the Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom in Egypt. The major elements were: the valley temple, the causeway, the mortuary temple, the royal pyramid, a subsidiary/satellite pyramid(s), subsidiary burials of members of the extended royal family and officials of the king, and pits containing full-size boats. The valley temple often had a quay on the River Nile and was probably the site of mummification ceremonies for kings. The causeway was an enclosed passageway from the valley temple to the mortuary temple and used as the way to the tomb during the royal funeral. It may have also been the slipway for transporting blocks in construction of the pyramid. During the Old Kingdom, the essential components were the pyramid itself, containing or surmounting the grave proper and standing within an enclosure on high desert ground; an adjacent mortuary temple; and a causeway leading down to a pavilion (usually called the valley temple), situated at the edge of the cultivation and probably connected with the Nile by a canal. About 80 royal pyramids have been found in Egypt.