Headless Pyramid
The Headless Pyramid in Saqqara was most likely built by the fifth dynasty pharaoh Menkauhor.
Archaeology
Karl Richard Lepsius, who visited Egypt in 1843 provided a first brief description and catalogued it as number XXIX (29) in his pyramid list. Gaston Maspero entered the underground chambers in 1881. A first, very brief and unsystematic excavation of the ruins was made in 1930 by Cecil M. Firth. Then the ruins were once again covered with sand. A systematic excavation of the substructure in 2008 under Zahi Hawass corroborated the assignment to the fifth Dynasty on the basis of structure and materials that were typical of that era. Although no inscriptions with the name of a pharaoh were found, Hawass attributed it to Menkauhor because he is the only pharaoh of the fifth dynasty whose pyramid has not been identified.[1]
The Pyramid
The pyramid had a length of approximately 52 metres and was probably, but instead aligned with the Teti's pyramid. Virtually nothing is left of the superstructure, hence its name. On the north side lies the entrance to the underground chamber system, which was sealed by two granite portcullises. A broken sarcophagus lid was found in the burial chamber.
References
- ↑ Reuters: Jonathan Wright: Eroded pyramid attributed to early pharaoh, June 5, 2008
Literature
- Mark Lehner: The Complete Pyramids. Thames & Hudson, London 1997, p. 165, ISBN 0-500-05084-8.
- Miroslav Werner: The Pyramids. 1998, ISBN 0-8021-3935-3
External links
- BBC News: Missing pyramid found, June 5, 2008
- Associated Press: Missing Pyramid Found in Egypt, June 5, 2008
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Coordinates: 29°52′31″N 31°13′25″E / 29.87528°N 31.22361°E