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Why were later Old Kingdom and Middle Kingdom pyramids generally smaller than the Great Pyramid?

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Ancient Egyptian illustration from the Book of the Dead showing Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, with gods seated above and hieroglyphic text throughout. — Egyptian art and architecture Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c. 1275 bce.

The pyramids built for later kings of the Old Kingdom and most kings of the Middle Kingdom were generally smaller and less well-constructed than the Great Pyramid of Giza.1

While the Great Pyramid represents a peak in technical skill, engineering, and the mobilization of state resources during the 4th dynasty, this period was considered an "isolated phenomenon" in terms of the sheer scale of royal mortuary projects. The construction of such colossal monuments required a highly centralized state capable of drafting vast numbers of laborers and dedicating a disproportionate amount of the country's resources to the king's burial.234

As the political and social landscape evolved, the intense concentration of resources required to build pyramids on the scale of those at Giza became less sustainable or prioritized. Additionally, the monumental nature of these structures made them prominent targets for tomb robbers. Over time, this vulnerability led to a shift in funerary practices; by the New Kingdom, royal tombs were no longer built as massive external pyramids but were instead carved deep into the rock in remote locations, such as the Valley of the Kings, to better protect the burials from desecration.1