The Sekhemhet pyramid (also a buried pyramid ) is an incomplete step pyramid . Built approx. 2645 BC e. near Saqqara . It is the second pyramid built in ancient Egypt for the pharaoh Sechemhet . At present, only the ruins of the pyramid have been preserved, accessible for tourists to visit, except for underground premises.
| Sekhemhet Pyramid | |
|---|---|
 The ruins of the Sechemhet pyramid in Saqqara | |
| Specifications | |
| Location | Saccara |
| Customer | Sechemhet |
| Construction time | 3 Dynasty (c. 2645 BC) |
| Type of | Step pyramid |
| Base size | 120 × 120 |
| Height (today) | ten |
| Incline | 50 ° 36 ' |
Content
History
The Sekhemhet pyramid was unknown until 1951 , when the archaeologist Zakaria Goneim noticed a square shape in the desert during excavations. He unearthed a part of the wall of the fence that looked like a Step Pyramid complex. The size of the unfinished wall was 550 × 200 meters. The name of the pharaoh who built the pyramid was unknown for some time. However, many Egyptologists were sure that this was one of the descendants of Djoser , since the structure was located close to his pyramid . In 1954, a building was discovered, which is an unfinished step pyramid. It consisted only of the lower and partially second steps of the pyramid. The ruins are about 10 meters high, but the size of its square base is 120 meters each. Apparently, the pyramid was built according to a planned project. If the construction was completed, the height of the monument would be about 70 meters, which is 10 meters higher than that of the Step Pyramid.
During excavations, Gonheim found a number of objects: animal bones, papyrus and stone vessels of the era of the III dynasty of Ancient Egypt . Gold bracelets and beads were discovered in one of the wooden boxes decorated with gold.
May 31, 1954 managed to penetrate one of the closed walls, where a burial chamber was discovered. Inside the room was an alabaster sarcophagus carved from a single block with a vertical lid. However, on June 26, 1954, after great difficulty unlocking and lifting the lid, the sarcophagus was open and, to the dismay of everyone, was empty.
After the suicide of Gonheim on January 12, 1959, the investigation of the ruins stopped. In 1963, excavations were again resumed by Jean-Philippe Lauer.
Complex
The Sechemhet pyramid complex was built southwest of the Djoser pyramid in Saqqara and includes a pyramid, an underground structure and a necropolis.
On one of the walls surrounding the pyramid, the name of Imhotep was discovered, which makes it possible for him to participate in the construction of the pyramid.
Necropolis
The location of the necropolis is built from north to south, but with a deviation of accuracy of about 11 °. A characteristic feature of this part of the monument is the inner wall of limestone covered with red drawings.
It is not known how many burial chambers and rooms should have been located in the dungeons according to the original plan. In 1963, a southern tomb 32 × 16 meters in size was found - behind a walled wall there was a wooden coffin, inside which were the remains of an unidentified two-year-old child. It is clear that a child cannot be Pharaoh Sechemkhet, as he is represented by adults in drawings from the mine of Wadi Magar in Sinai .
See also
- Sechemhet
Literature
- Zakaria Goneim: Die verschollene Pyramide. 1955; Neuauflage: Books on Demand, Norderstedt 2006, ISBN 3-8334-6137-3 .
- Jean-Philippe Lauer: Die Königsgräber von Memphis. Grabungen in Sakkara. Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 1988, ISBN 3-7857-0528-X .
- Miroslav Verner: Die Pyramiden. Rowohlt, Hamburg 1998, ISBN 3-499-60890-1 , S. 165-174 Die Stufenpyramide des Sechemchet.
- Mark Lehner: Geheimnis der Pyramiden. Econ, Düsseldorf 1997, ISBN 3-572-01039-X , S. 94-94.
- Rainer Stadelmann: Die ägyptischen Pyramiden. Vom Ziegelbau zum Weltwunder. 3. Auflage, von Zabern, Mainz 1997, ISBN 3-8053-1142-7 , S. 71-75.