PICTURES of "Missing" Pyramid of A Pharaoh And The Connected SERAPIUM

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                                     PHOTOS: ''Lost'' Egypt Pyramid Found Near Bull Tombs   





NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

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June 5, 2008—The foundations of a pyramid long lost under the sands of Egypt lie exposed on June 2, 2008. Archaeologists today announced the rediscovery of the ruins in Saqqara, south of Cairo. (Read the full story.)

The so-called Headless Pyramid was reported in the early 19th century by a German archaeologist, but its exact location was subsequently lost.

With its recent rediscovery, archaeologists have determined that the pyramid probably belonged to Pharaoh Menkauhor, who is believed to have ruled for eight years in the mid-2400s B.C. Teams also found a new part of a sacred road at the site that is thought to have been used for processions of mummified royal bulls.

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                                             "Lost" Pyramid Found Buried in Egypt






Andrew Bossone in Cairo
for National Geographic News
June 5, 2008

The pyramid of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has been rediscovered after being buried for generations, archaeologists announced today. (See photos and video.)

The pyramid is thought to house the tomb of King Menkauhor, who is believed to have ruled in Egypt's 5th dynasty for eight years in the mid-2400s B.C.

Long since reduced to its foundations, the structure was previously known as Number 29 or the "Headless Pyramid." It was mentioned in the mid-19th century by German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius.

Then it disappeared in the sands of Saqqara, a sprawling royal burial complex near current-day Cairo.

It took Egyptian archaeologists about a year and a half just to remove all the sand above the pyramid.

"After Lepsius the location of the pyramid was lost and the substructure of [the] pyramid never known," said Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities.

"It was forgotten by people until we began to search this area and a hill of sand, maybe 25 feet [7.6 meters] high."

Hawass is a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. (The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.)




Old Kingdom Clues


Nothing on the pyramid specifically names its owner, and the majority of the structure has been destroyed, so Egyptian archaeologists had to put several clues together to identify it.

Past archaeologists have disputed the date of the pyramid, usually putting it in either the Old Kingdom, between 2575 and 2150 B.C., or the Middle Kingdom, between 1975 and 1640 B.C.

But the recent research determined that the pyramid lacked the winding mazes typical of a Middle Kingdom temple.

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Instead, the lack of artwork and inscriptions, as well as the structure's red granite blocks, were typical of Old Kingdom pyramids, according to Hawass.

 
The burial chamber also contained the lid of a sarcophagus made of gray schist, a type of rock often used in the Old Kingdom.

What's more, the newfound pyramid resembles the pyramid next to it, which belongs to the first pharaoh of the 6th dynasty, Teti, who ruled from 2345 to 2181 B.C. That suggested the lost pyramid could also come from the 5th dynasty.

The neighboring pyramid also pointed to the owner of the pyramid as Menkauhor, since he was without a discovered burial tomb.

"There were missing pyramids of the kings, and this is one of them," Hawass said.





Sacred Road


Archaeologists also announced the discovery of new parts of a sacred road, dating to the Ptolemaic period, some 2,000 years after the Old Kingdom.

The discovery shows the sustained importance of Saqqara, which was located in the ancient capital of Memphis, the researchers added.

Ola El Aguizy is a professor of ancient Egyptian languages at Cairo University.

"During the whole history of Egypt, Memphis and Saqqara had remained very, very important," El Aguizy said.

"I am discovering tombs of people of the 26th dynasty [in Saqqara] that were reusing tombs of the 19th dynasty. It is a sacred place, and so many important people wanted to be buried there."

Another reason people wanted to be buried in Saqqara was the sacred road, which was used for the procession of mummified bulls of the god of the dead, Osiris.

"[Osiris] was enthroned like a king and when he died they made funerals like those of a king," El Aguizy said.

The bulls also had a historical significance: Their deaths were used to determine when a pharaoh reigned.

"It's a way of dating the pharaohs," El Aguizy said. "Sometimes we know how many bulls died during the reign of a king, or vice versa."





More Discoveries Expected

The sacred path, first discovered by French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in 1850, is nicknamed the Way of the Sphinxes because of its long row of statues often found at the gates of Egyptian temples.


"The modern name of ancient Memphis is Mit Rahina … which means the way of the Sphinx," El Aguizy said.

"So [this path is] presumably the Way, with sphinxes [formerly] on the two sides."

Archaeologists hope the path will lead to more discoveries in the area. Plans are underway to relocate modern-day workers who live in a village beside the Menkauhor site to allow an expanded search for more temples.

"When I say we've discovered 30 percent of the Egyptian monuments, I take Saqarra as the first example," Hawass said.

"Saqqara is a virgin site," he added. "It's very important for us to do this excavation to understand more about the pyramids of the Old Kingdom."



http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/06/photogalleries/pyramid-photos/photo3.html

[Josie Linde]

Great stuff, Bianca!

[Bianca]

Thanks, Josie!


But they went and 'pulled' all the photos.....Idiots!

I'll see if I can come up with more.


Hugs,
b

[Bianca]

On June 5, 2008, a worker dusts off a large slab of granite that was part of a sarcophagus found in the burial chamber of a recently rediscovered pyramid.

The ancient pyramid had been reported in the 19th century but was subsequently lost under the desert. When a team led by Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, found the site again, it took a year and a half just to remove all the sand.

Long since reduced to its foundations, the pyramid dates back about 4,000 years and is most likely the resting place of Pharaoh Menkauhor, Hawass said. The ruler was the last king of the 5th dynasty, which lasted from 2494 to 2345 B.C.



National Geographic

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Egyptian workers examine the Saqqara Serapeum, a long tunnel of underground tombs for sacred bulls discovered in 1850, on June 5, 2008. The tunnel has been closed to the public for repairs for the past ten years.

The tombs lie near a recently rediscovered pyramid that had been lost for decades under the sands of Saqqara, south of Cairo.

The team that found the pyramid also discovered a new part of the ceremonial road that ancient Egyptian priests used to carry the bulls' bodies from a mummification chamber to the Serapeum, where the animals where interred.



National Geographic

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2008, inside the Saqqara Serapeum, a long tunnel of underground tombs for sacred bulls near a recently rediscovered pyramid in Egypt.

Ancient Egyptians revered Saqqara as an important place to be interred, perhaps partly because the necropolis was also the burial site for bulls bred by pharaohs.

When the animals died, they were embalmed and carried along a ceremonial road nicknamed the Way of the Sphinxes, which runs near the newfound pyramid and leads to the Serapeum.



National Geographic

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18th dynasty stele depicting the 5th dynasty pharaoh Menkauhor Kaiu.



Pharaoh of Egypt


Reign

2422–2414 BC, 
5th dynasty


Predecessor

Nyuserre Ini


Successor

Djedkare Isesi

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Menkauhor Kaiu, (in Greek known as Menkeris),


was a Pharaoh of the Fifth dynasty during the Old Kingdom.

His royal name or prenomen, Menkauhor, means as "Eternal are the Souls of Re."

The Turin King List assigns him 8 years of rule.

He was the last pharaoh to build a sun temple—called Akhet-Re.

His pyramid was reported to have been found in 1842 by German archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius at Saqqara. Lepsius called it number 29 or the "Headless Pyramid".

The pyramid was then lost under shifting sands until it was rediscovered in 2008.  The pyramid is believed to be his. This would validate contemporary fifth dynasty records which indicate Menkauhor's pyramid was located at either Dahshur or Saqqara.

He is, in terms of present-day knowledge, the second most obscure 5th Dynasty ruler after the ephemeral Shepseskare — although a relief by an official named Tjutju depicts him adoring the pharaoh, one major quarry inscription at Wadi Maghara in the Sinai dated to his reign, a single seal bearing his name and a small alabaster statue prove his existence beyond doubt.

Several Old Kingdom administrative records at Abusir indicate that Menkauhor finished his pyramid complex which was called Ntry-iswt-Mn-kw-hr while his funerary cult was still operational long after
his death.

[Bianca]

References



^ a b c Clayton, Peter A. Chronicle of the Pharaohs: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers and Dynasties of Ancient Egypt. p.61. Thames & Hudson. 2006. ISBN 0-500-28628-0

^ "Egypt uncovers 'missing' pyramid of a pharaoh", http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080605/ap_on_re_mi_ea/egypt_missing_pyramid_4, Katarina Kratovac, AP, June 5, 2008

^ Archeologists find 'missing pyramid' - CNN.com

^ Miroslav Verner, Archaeological Remarks on the 4th and 5th Dynasty Chronology, Archiv Orientální, Volume 69: 2001, p.405

^ Verner, p.405





External links



Egyptian Kings

Menkauhor Pyramid Found





RETRIEVED FROM

wikipedia.org

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livescience.com

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                The re-discovery of Egypt's missing pyramid,



photographed by
Amr Dalsh of Reuters
and Nasser Nasser
of the Associated Press

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                                           Menkauhor - "Eternal are the Souls of Re"






Menkauhor was the seventh king of the 5th Dynasty.

His birth name was Kalu.

According to the Turin King-list he ruled for some eight years. References fairly consistently give his reign as lasting from about 2421 or 2422 until 2414. He never achieved the level of fame of the other kings of the 5th dynasty. His reign is attested by an inscription in the Sinai and a seal from Abusir.

The relationship of Menkauhor with his predecessors or successors is not known. However, it is likely that he was either the brother or son of Niuserre, his predecessor. If he was Niuserre's son, it would probably have been by Niuserre's chief queen, Neput-Nebu. It is also likely that he was the father of Djedkare, who followed him to the throne. If not, he was almost certainly Djedkare's brother, with Niuserre being both king's father, or Djedkare's cousin, with Djedkare being the son of Neferefre, and Menkauhor being the son of Niuserre.

He is reputed as having sent his troops to Sinai in order to acquire materials for the construction of his tomb.

He was the last pharaoh to build a sun temple. His solar-temple, called Akhet-Re, and his pyramid are mentioned in texts from private tombs. This dynasty was famous for their solar temples, and Menkauhor's temple is probably located at either Abusir or Saqqara. It would have probably been the last such temple built, however, because his successors appear to have drifted away somewhat from the solar cult.

Menkauhor's pyramid has not been positively identified, but if the assumption that his pyramid is to be located at Dashur is correct, this would imply a departure from Abusir. However, some Egyptologists seem to strongly believe that his pyramid is the "Headless Pyramid", located in North Saqqara east of Teti's complex. There is mounting evidence to support this conclusion. B. G. Ockinga, for example argues that during the 18th Dynasty the Teti complex may have been associated with a cult belonging to a deified Menkauhor. Wherever it is located, his pyramid was called "Divine are the (cult) places of Menkauhor".

His reign is attested by an inscription in the Sinai at Magharah, indicating that he continued to quarry stone in that location as did his predecessors and successors. Given the lack of information on this king, we can also probably make some assumptions based on the activities of those predecessors and successors. For example, while he have no inscriptions as evidence, both Niuserre and Djedkare quarried stone northwest of Aswan, so it is likely that Menkauhor did as well.

It is also highly likely that he continued commercial and diplomatic relations with Byblos, as did both Niuserre and Djedkare, and in fact we do find a few objects in the area near Dorak bearing his name. It is also likely that he had some sort of dealings with Nubia, but whether he sent expeditions to Punt, as did Niuserre and Djedkare, is unknown.

Otherwise, Menkauhor is also attested to by a small alabaster statue that is now located in the Egyptian museum in Cairo and by a relief of Tjutju adoring King Menkauhor and other divinities. This relief, owned by the Louvre, has been on loan to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

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               There is also a seal bearing his name
               that was found at Abusir.






               THE FIFTH DYNASTY

 
               http://www.crystalinks.com/dynasty5.html