An old step pyramid of 4600 years found in Egypt

Archaeologists have unearthed at a site in southern Egypt, a stepped pyramid. 4,600 years old, it was built by a pharaoh of the Third or the Fourth Dynasty but now more as 5 meters high.

She had the air of nothing, and yet it was a valuable piece dating back thousands of years. Near the town of Edfu in southern Egypt, archaeologists have unearthed an ancient step pyramid 4,600 years. The structure was hidden under a thick layer of sand, debris and stones. She did not even look like a pyramid, explained Gregory Marouard, archaeologist of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago who led the excavations.

The inhabitants of the nearby village thought the structure was the tomb of a sheik. But by cleaning, the team revealed that it was indeed a pyramid dating back to the Old Kingdom. It was built from sandstone blocks and clay mortar in the form of a three-storey pyramid. However, it has lost its luster over the millennia. According to archaeologists, they had measured about 13 meters at the time of its construction. 

But it has since been exposed to weather and looting, and measures more than 5 meters high. Its base is approximately 18.4 meters by 18.6 meters. Archaeologists have said that the pyramid was not alone, six were found in the area and all have similar dimensions. These are "provincial" pyramids, structures that were often built near large colonies.

Symbolic monuments 
Unlike the others, these pyramids show no underground chambers and are not used as tombs. Specialists, however, ignore the specific purpose of their construction. According to them, they could serve as a symbolic monuments dedicated to the royal cult and affirm the supposed power of the pharaoh in the southern provinces. "The similarities of a pyramid to another are really fantastic, and there is clearly a common plan," said Gregory Marouard.

Archaeologists believe that the pyramids were built during the reign of Huni pharaoh of the Third Dynasty (2635-2610 BC) and that of the Pharaoh Sneferu of the Fourth Dynasty (2610-2590). According to them, the style is similar to that of the pyramid of Meidum, also built by one of his two pharaohs. "The construction reflects some care and a real expertise in the mastery of stone construction," said the archaeologist.

The pyramid has the distinction of having been built directly on the ground and fully with local raw materials. By studying the structure, archaeologists have found the remains of an altar of offerings and listings on the external faces, located just beside the remains of babies and children who were buried at the foot of the pyramid. Nevertheless, the hieroglyphics as funerals were made well after construction. 

An abandoned pyramid
 "It's mostly raw registrations, private and certainly dedicated to funerals of children / babies made ​​just below the foot of the pyramid," said Marouard in an email sent to LiveScience. The archaeologist added that the discoveries made ​​and taken pictures would soon be unveiled in detail and published. Following the study, the experts and colleagues estimated that the pyramid was abandoned shortly after its construction.

Under the reign of Pharaoh Khufu (2590-2563 BC), author of the Great Pyramid, the seven pyramids were no longer used and no longer receive any offering. According Marouard, with Great Pyramid construction, these structures would no longer seemed useful in the eyes of Pharaoh who would have preferred to concentrate resources on the new gigantic work built in Memphis, became a true empire's center of gravity.


Source : maxisciences