Pyramid of Menkaure

Last updated
Pyramid of Menkaure
Cairo, Gizeh, Pyramid of Menkaure, Egypt, Oct 2005.jpg
Menkaure
Coordinates 29°58′21″N31°07′42″E / 29.97250°N 31.12833°E / 29.97250; 31.12833
Ancient name
Pyramid of Menkaure
Pyramid of MenkaurePyramid of MenkaurePyramid of MenkaurePyramid of Menkaure
Pyramid of Menkaure
Pyramid of MenkaurePyramid of MenkaurePyramid of MenkaurePyramid of Menkaure
[1]
Nṯr.j Mn-kꜣw-Rꜥ
Netjeri Menkaure
Menkaure is Divine
Constructedc. 2510 BC (4th dynasty)
Type True Pyramid
Material limestone, core
red granite, white limestone, casing
Height65 metres (213 ft) or 125 cubits (original)
Base102.2 by 104.6 metres (335 ft × 343 ft) or 200 cubits (original)
Volume235,183 cubic metres (8,305,409 cu ft)
Slope51°20'25''

The pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest of the three main pyramids of the Giza pyramid complex, located on the Giza Plateau in the southwestern outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. It is thought to have been built to serve as the tomb of the Fourth Dynasty Pharaoh Menkaure.

Contents

Size and construction

A diagram of the pyramid. Menkaure pyramid scheme.svg
A diagram of the pyramid.

Menkaure's pyramid had an original height of 65.5 meters (215 ft), and was the smallest of the three major pyramids at the Giza Necropolis. It now stands at 61 m (200 ft) tall with a base of 108.5 m (356 ft). Its angle of incline is approximately 51°20′25″. It was constructed of limestone and Aswan granite. The upper portion was cased in the normal manner with Tura limestone. The construction of the outer casing of the pyramid was halted at sixteen to eighteen layers of granite following Menkaure's death, only seven of which remain today due to vandalism and erosion. [2] [3] Part of the granite was left in the rough.

The descending passage to lower burial chamber is in the 'large apartment' floor, probably original hidden by floor blocks. [4] It is theorised that originally the pyramid was planned to be smaller. The blind alley being the originally planned entrance passage. [5]

A boat hieroglyph was painted on the pyramid limestone which may be indicative of a boat pit where a sun boat would be buried. [6]

Age and location

The pyramid's date of construction is unknown, because Menkaure's reign has not been accurately defined, but it was probably completed in the 26th century BC.[ citation needed ] It is a few hundred meters southwest of its larger neighbors, the pyramid of Khafre and the Great Pyramid of Khufu in the Giza necropolis.

Sarcophagus and coffin

The sarcophagus of Menkaure Histoire de l'art dans l'antiquite- Egypte, Assyrie, Perse, Asie Mineure, Grece, Etrurie, Rome (1882) (14801477783).jpg
The sarcophagus of Menkaure

In 1837 Howard Vyse and John Shae Perring discovered the basalt sarcophagus of Menkaure, described as beautiful black and rich in detail with a bold projecting cornice, which contained the bones of a young woman. It was loaded onto the ship Beatrice, but wrecked off the Spanish coast on the way to Great Britain. [7]

A coffin lid found in the pyramid of Menakure Wooden Coffin of Men-ka-ra (1878) - TIMEA (rotated).jpg
A coffin lid found in the pyramid of Menakure

A wooden anthropoid coffin inscribed with Menkaure's name and containing the remains of a mummy were found in the upper burial chamber and later transferred safely to the British Museum. [7] The coffin was radiocarbon dated to 1212–846 BC, from the late New Kingdom to the Third Intermediate Period. The male body and its shroud were carbon dated to the early Islamic Period. [8]

Pyramid complex

Pyramid temple

In the mortuary temple, the foundations and the inner core were made of limestone. The floors were begun with granite and granite facings were added to some of the walls. The foundations of the valley temple were made of stone. Both temples were finished with crude bricks. Reisner estimated that some of the blocks of local stone in the walls of the mortuary temple weighed as much as 220 tons. The heaviest granite ashlars imported from Aswan weighed more than 30 tons.

It is assumed that Menkaure's successor Shepseskaf completed the temple construction. An inscription was found in the mortuary temple that said he "made it (the temple) as his monument for his father, the king of upper and lower Egypt."

Subsequent architectural additions and two stelae from the Sixth Dynasty suggest that a cult for the Pharaoh was maintained, or was periodically renewed, for two centuries after his death. [9]

Valley temple

The Menkaure Valley temple was excavated between 1908 and 1910 by American archaeologist George Andrew Reisner. [9] He found a large number of statues, mostly of Menkaure alone, and as a member of a group. These were all carved in the naturalistic style of the Old Kingdom, with a high degree of detail. [10]

Queens' pyramids

The pyramid of Menkaure in the background with the pyramids G3-a, G3-b, and G3-c in front (right to left). Gizeh Mykerinos 02.JPG
The pyramid of Menkaure in the background with the pyramids G3-a, G3-b, and G3-c in front (right to left).

South of the pyramid of Menkaure are three smaller pyramids, designated G3-a, G3-b, and G3-c, each accompanied by a temple and substructure. The easternmost is the largest and a true pyramid. Its casing is partly of granite, like the main pyramid, and is believed to have been completed due to the limestone pyramidion found close by. [11] Neither of the other two progressed beyond the construction of the inner core. [10]

Reisner speculated that the structures were likely tombs for the queens of Menkaure, and that the individuals buried there may have been his half-sisters. [12] The archaeologist Mark Lehner argues that pyramid G3-a has a layout akin to a ka pyramid, which would have housed a statue of the king rather than a body. The fact that the structure once contained a pink granite sarcophagus, [13] has led scholars to speculate that it may have been reused as a queen's burial tomb, or that it served as a chapel where the body of Menkaure was mummified. [14]

Attempted demolition

Damage to the pyramid, by Sultan Al-Aziz Uthman Giza Plateau - Pyramid of Menkaure.JPG
Damage to the pyramid, by Sultan Al-Aziz Uthman

In AD 1196, Al-Aziz Uthman, Saladin's son and the Sultan of Egypt, attempted to demolish the pyramids, starting with that of Menkaure. Workmen recruited to demolish the pyramid stayed at their job for eight months, but the task was expensive and slow. Workers were only able to remove one or two stones each day at most. Some used wedges and levers to move the stones, while others used ropes to pull them down. [15] [16]

When a stone fell, it would bury itself in the sand, requiring extraordinary efforts to free it. Wedges were used to split the stones into several pieces, and a cart was used to carry it to the foot of the escarpment, where it was left. Despite their efforts, workmen were only able to damage the pyramid to the extent of leaving a large vertical gash at its northern face. [15] [16]

Restoration attempt

Granite casing blocks of Menkaure's Pyramid next to the entrance. Many are visibly unfinished, probably halted in mid-work due to the death of the pharaoh. Menkaure's pyramid, unfinished stones.jpg
Granite casing blocks of Menkaure's Pyramid next to the entrance. Many are visibly unfinished, probably halted in mid-work due to the death of the pharaoh.

In January 2024 a project to study and document the outer granite blocks which had fallen off of the facade began, with the goal to reinstall them. [18] The project was planned to take three years to complete. [19] [20] Weeks after the announcement, the project was cancelled following backlash by researchers and a report by a team of experts called in by Egyptian officials and led by Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s former minister of antiquities which “unanimously objected to the re-installation of the granite casing blocks scattered around the base of the pyramid”. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Pyramid of Giza</span> Largest pyramid in the Giza Necropolis, Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest Egyptian pyramid. It served as the tomb of pharaoh Khufu, who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Built c. 2600 BC, over a period of about 27 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only wonder that has remained largely intact. It is the most famous monument of the Giza pyramid complex, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Memphis and its Necropolis". It is situated at the northeastern end of the line of the three main pyramids at Giza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Djoser</span> Archeological site in Egypt

The pyramid of Djoser, sometimes called the Step Pyramid of Djoser, is an archaeological site in the Saqqara necropolis, Egypt, northwest of the ruins of Memphis. It is the first pyramid to be built. The 6-tier, 4-sided structure is the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt. It was built in the 27th century BC during the Third Dynasty for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser. The pyramid is the central feature of a vast mortuary complex in an enormous courtyard surrounded by ceremonial structures and decoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shepseskaf</span> Last Egyptian pharaoh of the 4th dynasty

Shepseskaf was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt, the sixth and probably last ruler of the fourth dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He reigned most probably for four but possibly up to seven years in the late 26th to mid-25th century BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyuserre Ini</span> Ancient Egyptian pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty

Nyuserre Ini was an Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, the sixth ruler of the Fifth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom period. He is credited with a reign of 24 to 35 years depending on the scholar, and likely lived in the second half of the 25th century BCE. Nyuserre was the younger son of Neferirkare Kakai and queen Khentkaus II, and the brother of the short-lived king Neferefre. He may have succeeded his brother directly, as indicated by much later historical sources. Alternatively, Shepseskare may have reigned between the two as advocated by Miroslav Verner, albeit only for a few weeks or months at the most. The relation of Shepseskare with Neferefre and Nyuserre remains highly uncertain. Nyuserre was in turn succeeded by Menkauhor Kaiu, who could have been his nephew and a son of Neferefre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Khafre</span> Smooth-sided pyramid in Giza, Egypt

The pyramid of Khafre or of Chephren is the middle of the three Ancient Egyptian Pyramids of Giza, the second tallest and second largest of the group. It is the only pyramid out of the three that still has cladding at the top. It is the tomb of the Fourth-Dynasty pharaoh Khafre (Chefren), who ruled c. 2558−2532 BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giza pyramid complex</span> Archaeological site near Cairo, Egypt

The Giza pyramid complex in Egypt is home to the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx. All were built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt, between c. 2600 – c. 2500 BC. The site also includes several temples, cemeteries, and the remains of a workers' village.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giza Plateau</span> Site of the largest known collection of pyramids, in Egypt

The Giza Plateau is a limestone plateau in Giza, Egypt, the site of the Fourth Dynasty Giza pyramid complex, which includes the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, a workers' village and an industrial complex. It forms the northernmost part of the 16,000 ha Pyramid Fields in the Western Desert edge of the Nile Valley that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Memphis and its Necropolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Layer Pyramid</span> Archaeological site in Egypt

The Layer Pyramid is a ruined step pyramid dating to the 3rd Dynasty of Egypt and located in the necropolis of Zawyet El Aryan. Its ownership is uncertain and may be attributable to pharaoh Khaba. The pyramid architecture, however, is very similar to that of the Buried Pyramid of king Sekhemkhet and for this reason is firmly datable to the 3rd Dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian pyramid construction techniques</span>

Egyptian pyramid construction techniques are the controversial subject of many hypotheses. These techniques seem to have developed over time; later pyramids were not constructed in the same way as earlier ones. Most of the construction hypotheses are based on the belief that huge stones were carved from quarries with copper chisels, and these blocks were then dragged and lifted into position. Disagreements chiefly concern the methods used to move and place the stones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Djedefre</span> Smooth-sided pyramid

The pyramid of Djedefre is Egypt's northernmost pyramid. Believed to have been built by Djedefre, son and successor to king Khufu, it consists today mostly of ruins located at Abu Rawash in Egypt. Excavation report on the pyramid complex was published in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Neferirkare</span> Second pyramid built at the Abusir necropolis

The pyramid of Neferirkare was built for the Fifth Dynasty pharaoh Neferirkare Kakai in the 25th century BC. It was the tallest structure on the highest site at the necropolis of Abusir, found between Giza and Saqqara, and still towers over the necropolis. The pyramid is also significant because its excavation led to the discovery of the Abusir Papyri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Userkaf</span> Egyptian pyramid

The pyramid complex of Userkaf was built c. 2490 BC for the pharaoh Userkaf, founder of the 5th Dynasty of Egypt. It is located in the pyramid field at Saqqara, on the north-east of the step pyramid of Djoser. Constructed in dressed stone with a core of rubble, the pyramid is now ruined and resembles a conical hill in the sands of Saqqara. For this reason, it is known locally as El-Haram el-Maharbish, the "Heap of Stone", and was recognized as a royal pyramid by western archaeologists in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Sahure</span> Fifth Dynasty Egyptian pyramid complex

The pyramid of Sahure is a pyramid complex built in the late 26th to 25th century BC for the Egyptian pharaoh Sahure of the Fifth Dynasty. It introduced a period of pyramid building by Sahure's successors in Abusir, on a location earlier used by Userkaf for his sun temple. The site was first thoroughly excavated by Ludwig Borchardt between March 1907 and 1908, who wrote the standard work Das Grabdenkmal des Königs Sahu-Re between 1910 and 1913.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Neferefre</span> Unfinished pyramid

The pyramid of Neferefre, also known as the pyramid of Raneferef, is a 25th century BC unfinished pyramid complex built for the Egyptian pharaoh Neferefre of the Fifth Dynasty. Neferefre's unfinished pyramid is the third and final one built on the Abusir diagonal – a figurative line connecting the Abusir pyramids with Heliopolis – of the necropolis, sited south-west of Neferirkare's pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sphinx water erosion hypothesis</span> Fringe theory on the age of the Great Sphinx of Giza

The Sphinx water erosion hypothesis is a fringe claim, contending that the Great Sphinx of Giza and its enclosing walls eroded primarily due to ancient floods or rainfalls, attributing their creation to Plato's lost civilization of Atlantis over 11,500 years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Nyuserre</span> Pyramid complex of the last pharaoh to be buried at Abusir

The pyramid of Nyuserre is a mid-25th-century BC pyramid complex built for the Egyptian pharaoh Nyuserre Ini of the Fifth Dynasty. During his reign, Nyuserre had the unfinished monuments of his father, Neferirkare Kakai, mother, Khentkaus II, and brother, Neferefre, completed, before commencing work on his personal pyramid complex. He chose a site in the Abusir necropolis between the complexes of Neferirkare and Sahure, which, restrictive in area and terrain, economized the costs of labour and material. Nyuserre was the last king to be entombed in the necropolis; his successors chose to be buried elsewhere. His monument encompasses a main pyramid, a mortuary temple, a valley temple on Abusir Lake, a causeway originally intended for Neferirkare's monument, and a cult pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid G3-c</span> Pyramid in the Giza complex

G3-c is one of the three pyramid companions Pyramid of Menkaure. It is located on the south side of the Menkaure pyramid in the Giza Necropolis. It is the westernmost of the three pyramids of the queens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid of Khentkaus I</span> Step tomb of a Fourth Dynasty queen

The pyramid of Khentkaus I or step tomb of Khentkaus I is a Fourth Dynasty two-stepped tomb built for the Queen Mother Khentkaus I in Giza. The tomb, built in two phases coinciding with its two steps, was originally known as the fourth pyramid of Giza. In the first phase, a nearly square block of bedrock, around which the stone had been quarried for the Giza pyramids, was utilised to construct her tomb and encased with fine white Tura limestone. In the second phase, most likely in the Fifth Dynasty, her tomb was enlarged with a large limestone structure built on top of the bedrock block. The Egyptologist Miroslav Verner suggests that this may have been intended to convert her tomb into a pyramid, but was abandoned as a result of stability concerns. South-west of the tomb was a long boat pit, which housed the Night boat of Re. A companion day boat has not been found. A chapel was built into the tomb superstructure, with a large granite entrance bearing the queen's name and titles. One of her titles was of particular interest because it had not been known of prior to its discovery at her tomb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid G3-a</span> One of the 3 pyraminds near the pyramid of Menkaure

G3-a is one of the three pyramid companions of the Pyramid of Menkaure. It is located on the south side of the Menkaure pyramid in the Giza Necropolis. It is the easternmost of the three pyramids of the queens. The pyramid was built during the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt, presumably for one of the wives of Menkaure. Egyptologist George Andrew Reisner was "confident" that the structure housed Khamerernebty II, but this is far from certain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyramid G3-b</span> Pyramid in the Giza Necropolis

G3-b is one of the three pyramid companions Pyramid of Menkaure. It is located on the south side of the Menkaure pyramid in the Giza Necropolis. It is the middle of the three pyramids of the queens, and in the structure the body of a woman was discovered. The American archaeologist George Andrew Reisner speculated that the queen buried in the pyramid may have been Menkaure's half-sister, Shepsetkau, the daughter of Meresankh III and Khafre.

References

  1. Verner 2001, p. 242.
  2. Werr, Patrick (February 16, 2024). "Egypt aborts controversial pyramid renovation plan". Reuters . Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  3. Samaan, Magdy (29 January 2024). "Rebuilding granite blocks around pyramid 'as absurd as straightening the Tower of Pisa'". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  4. "Chapter 8: Menkaure and the Colonel – The Analog Antiquarian". 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  5. "NOVA Online/Pyramids/Cross-Section of Menkaure's Pyramid". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  6. Jenkins, Nancy (1980). The Boat Beneath the Pyramid. London: Thames and Hudson. pp. 157, 159. ISBN   9780030570612.
  7. 1 2 Hawass, Zahi. "The Pyramids at Giza: Khafre and Menkaure". Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  8. Strouhal, Eugen; Vyhnánek; Gaballah; Saunders; Woelfli; Bonani; Němečková (2001). "Identification of royal skeletal remains from Egyptian pyramids" (PDF). Anthropologie. 39 (1): 18–19.
  9. 1 2 Lehner, Mark in: Manuelian, Peter Der; Schneider, Thomas (30 October 2015). Towards a New History for the Egyptian Old Kingdom: Perspectives on the Pyramid Age. ISBN   9789004301894.
  10. 1 2 Edwards, I. E. S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 pp. 147–163 [ ISBN missing ]
  11. Janosi, Peter. "Das Pyramidion der Pyramide G III-a" (PDF).
  12. Reisner, George Andrew (1942). A History of the Giza Necropolis. Vol. III. Harvard University. pp. 186–187. (Note: This is the second unpublished follow-up to Reisner's work A History of the Giza Necropolis Vol. I, published by Harvard University Press)
  13. Verner, Miroslav (2007). The Pyramids: The Mystery, Culture, and Science of Egypt's Great Monuments. New York City, NY: Grove Atlantic. p. 252. ISBN   9780802198631.
  14. Lehner 1997, pp.  134, 136.
  15. 1 2 Stewart, Desmond (June 1, 1971). The Pyramids and Sphinx. Wonders of Man Series. Newsweek. p. 101. ISBN   978-0276000164.
  16. 1 2 Lehner 1997, p.  41.
  17. Lehner 1997, p.  221.
  18. Samir, Salwa (January 25, 2024). "In a first, outer casing of Menkaure's pyramid to be studied, reassembled". The Egyptian Gazette . Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  19. ""مشروع القرن".. ماذا تخطط مصر للهرم الثالث؟" ["Project of the Century" - What is Egypt planning for the third pyramid?]. Al Arabiya (in Arabic). January 26, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  20. Khaled, Raghad (January 26, 2024). "Tourism Ministry Begins Project To Install Granite Coverage On Menkaure Pyramid". lovin cairo. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  21. Anderson, Sonja (February 20, 2024). "Egypt Halts Controversial Plans to Renovate Ancient Pyramid". Smithsonian magazine . Retrieved August 14, 2024.

Further reading

Comparison of approximate profiles of the Pyramid of Menkaure with some notable pyramidal or near-pyramidal buildings. Dotted lines indicate original heights, where data is available. In its SVG file, hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article. Comparison of pyramids.svg
Comparison of approximate profiles of the Pyramid of Menkaure with some notable pyramidal or near-pyramidal buildings. Dotted lines indicate original heights, where data is available. In its SVG file, hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article.