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Pyramid of Khendjer

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370:. The weight of the quartzite block was estimated at 150 tons by G. Jéquier. The block was carved into two compartments destined to receive the king's coffin, canopic chest and funerary goods. Two large quartzite beams weighing 60 tons formed its roof. Once the block and its roof had been put into position, the workers built a gabled roof of limestone beams and a brick vault above it to relieve the weight of the pyramid. The mechanism for closing the vault consisted of sand-filled shafts on which rested the props of the northern ceiling slab. This would be lowered on the vault on draining the sand. After draining all the sand, the workmen escaped through the corridor which they filled with masonry and paved over its opening in the antechamber. 26: 387:
substructures of this pyramid lie at the base of its eastern base. A small stairway leads to two portcullis chambers similar to those found in the main pyramid. Here too the portcullises were left open. Beyond is an antechamber branching to the north and south to two burial chambers lined with masonry and both housing a large quartzite coffer. The lids of the coffers were found propped on blocks as they should be before any burial. The two coffers were thus most probably never lowered into place and put into use.
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to suggest that the wavy-wall was constructed as a provisional and abbreviated substitute to the more time consuming but preferred niched-wall. At the south-east corner of the outer wall is a blocked unfinished stairway, which could be part of earlier plans for the pyramid substructure or part of an
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On the eastern side of the pyramid lay a mortuary temple which spread across both enclosure walls. This allowed for the outer section of the temple to be placed outside the inner wall, with the inner sanctuary on the inside of the inner wall. Very little remains of the temple, except for pieces of
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in height, which is about 37 metres (121 ft). The pyramid was constructed with a mudbrick core and a limestone outer casing with its backing stones. These and the limestone casing were both quarried by stone robbers, which left the core unprotected. The core fared very badly with time and the
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At the north eastern corner of Khendjer's pyramid complex is a small subsidiary pyramid, which is thought to have been prepared for the burials of two of Khendjer's queens. G. Jéquier also found shaft tombs nearby, which may have been prepared for other royal family members. The entrance to the
177:. The pyramid, which is part of larger complex comprising a mortuary temple, a chapel, two enclosure walls and a subsidiary pyramid, originally stood around 37 m (121 ft) high and is now completely ruined. The pyramidion was discovered during excavations under the direction of 342:
wooden door. Beyond the door is a second portcullis chamber, which was also left open. In turn this leads to a small antechamber and from there on to a further corridor whose access was concealed beneath the paving of the antechamber floor. This corridor leads to the burial chamber.
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The pyramid complex comprises the main pyramid enclosed by two walls. The outer one, made of mudbrick, contained in the north-east corner a small subsidiary pyramid, the only one known dating to the 13th dynasty. The inner enclosure wall was made of
271:. The location of this door was unusual as it should have stood on the wall closest to the pyramid, i.e. the south wall rather than the north one. The few surviving fragments of relief from the chapel show standard scenes with offering bearers. 263:
A small chapel was built immediately adjacent to the north side of the main pyramid, inside the inner enclosure wall. The chapel was raised on a platform and could be reached by two stairways. The north wall of the chapel housed a yellow
338:. The portcullis was originally destined to block the way to the burial chamber but was never put into place across the passage. Beyond the portcullis chamber, a further stairway with 39 steps continued down to a closed 390:
Some unexpected turn of events probably prevented their use, although there is nothing directly suggesting that the king wasn't interred as planned in the main pyramid. However, in his 1997 study of the
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Khendjer's second portcullis chamber, antechamber and corridor were constructed in the corner of a large trench dug in the ground. The burial chamber, which is made of a colossal monolithic
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The entrance to the substructures is located at the base of the southern end of the pyramid west side. A stairway with 13 steps leads to a chamber housing a large granite
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in 1929, indicating that the pyramid was finished during Khendjer's lifetime. It is the only pyramid known to have been completed during the
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East face of the pyramidion of the pyramid of Khendjer, depicting the king with Atum and Re. Egyptian Museum, Cairo, JE 53045
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block, was placed in the trench before the pyramid construction started, in a manner similar to the burial chamber of
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was discovered on the east side of the complex and has been restored by G. Jéquier. It is now on display at the
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The first investigations of the pyramid of Khendjer were undertaken in the mid 19th century by
482:, Carsten Niebuhr Institute Publications, vol. 20. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 1997, 1248: 884: 238:
and patterned with niches and panels. This replaced an earlier mudbrick wavy-wall, which led
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Plan of the underground chambers of the pyramid, showing the open granite portcullises.
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The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, c.1800–1550 BC
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from 1929 until 1931 with the excavation report published two years later in 1933.
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pyramid now stands only one meter (3.3 feet) tall due to its disintegration.
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was a pyramid built for the burial of the 13th dynasty pharaoh
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Edwards, Dr. I.E.S.: The Pyramids of Egypt 1986/1947 p. 246-9
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Buildings and structures completed in the 18th century BC
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37.35 m (122.5 ft), now 1 m (3.3 ft)
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under the number XLIV. The pyramid was excavated by
577:"The Pyramid of Khendjer at South Saqqara in Egypt" 517:The Encyclopaedia of Ancient Egyptian Architecture 32:Reconstruction of the pyramid complex of Khendjer. 1620: 896:Unfinished Northern Pyramid of Zawyet el'Aryan 511: 509: 648: 1629:Pyramids of the Thirteenth Dynasty of Egypt 506: 655: 641: 544:Building in Egypt: Pharaonic Stone Masonry 1649:2nd-millennium BC establishments in Egypt 495: 493: 491: 474: 472: 448: 446: 444: 442: 440: 438: 436: 434: 432: 418:Egyptian pyramid construction techniques 382:Substructures of the subsidiary pyramid. 377: 345: 291: 254: 152: 350:Pyramidion of the pyramid of Khendjer, 284:and columns and parts of its pavement. 1621: 711: 488: 702: 662: 636: 469: 459:London, 1997, Thames and Hudson Ltd. 429: 399:concludes that Khendjer's successor, 373: 243:unfinished south tomb, meant for the 685: 330:similar to those encountered in the 1483: 300:The pyramid originally stood at 70 108:Mudbrick core with limestone casing 13: 274: 228: 208: 24: 14: 1660: 597: 546:, 1997, Oxford University Press, 684: 614:Pyramid and complex information 604:The Pyramid Complex of Khendjer 484:excerpts available online here. 287: 250: 569: 560: 533: 501:Deux pyramides du Moyen Empire 334:pyramids, also dated from the 197:, who included the pyramid in 188: 1: 423: 7: 406: 308:A fragmented black granite 157:Plan of the Pyramid Complex 132:34,315 m (44,882  10: 1665: 556:excerpts available online. 393:Second Intermediate Period 175:Second Intermediate Period 1578: 1553: 1538: 1468: 1328: 1234: 1216: 1201: 1179: 1140: 1125: 1083: 990: 847: 752: 737: 698: 675:List of Egyptian pyramids 670: 529:excerpt available online. 413:List of Egyptian pyramids 140: 128: 124:52.5 m (172 ft) 120: 112: 104: 93: 85: 48: 37: 23: 18: 1639:18th century BC in Egypt 1588:Construction techniques 223:pyramid of Senusret III 1503:Sekhemre-Wepmaat Intef 1349:Southern South Saqqara 503:, Cairo 1933, pp. 3-35 457:The Complete Pyramids. 403:, usurped the throne. 383: 355: 297: 260: 247:of the deceased king. 173:c. 1760 BC during the 158: 29: 1127:1 Intermediate Period 381: 349: 295: 258: 156: 70:29.83222°N 31.22389°E 28: 620:on September 4, 2006 519:, 2001, I.B.Tauris, 318:Strong is the ka of 195:Karl Richard Lepsius 1470:Second Intermediate 918:Mastabet el-Fara'un 163:pyramid of Khendjer 66: /  19:Pyramid of Khendjer 1513:Senakhtenre Ahmose 384: 374:Subsidiary pyramid 356: 298: 261: 159: 75:29.83222; 31.22389 30: 1616: 1615: 1574: 1573: 1534: 1533: 1508:Nubkheperre Intef 1464: 1463: 1197: 1196: 1121: 1120: 733: 732: 729: 728: 664:Egyptian pyramids 581:www.touregypt.net 499:Gustave Jéquier: 240:Rainer Stadelmann 148: 147: 1656: 1551: 1550: 1547: 1546: 1481: 1480: 1477: 1476: 1441: 1399: 1385: 1371: 1306: 1293: 1214: 1213: 1210: 1209: 1138: 1137: 1134: 1133: 1013: 832: 824:Saujet el-Meitin 750: 749: 746: 745: 709: 708: 700: 699: 688: 687: 657: 650: 643: 634: 633: 629: 627: 625: 616:. 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Retrieved 618:the original 613: 585:. Retrieved 583:(in Russian) 580: 571: 562: 543: 535: 516: 500: 479: 456: 389: 385: 357: 325: 317: 307: 302:royal cubits 299: 288:Main pyramid 278: 262: 251:North chapel 232: 212: 192: 183:13th Dynasty 169:, who ruled 162: 160: 149: 100:(now ruined) 98:True pyramid 43:13th Dynasty 1540:New Kingdom 1436: [ 1394: [ 1380: [ 1366: [ 1338:Ameny Qemau 1301: [ 1288: [ 1261:Senusret II 1244:Amenemhat I 1022:Neferirkare 1008: [ 912:Khentkaus I 827: [ 796:Elephantine 739:Old Kingdom 453:Mark Lehner 401:Imyremeshaw 354:, JE 53045. 340:double-leaf 189:Excavations 86:Constructed 73: / 49:Coordinates 1623:Categories 1603:Pyramidion 1285:Neferuptah 1249:Senusret I 1038:Unfinished 803:Edfu South 587:2018-02-26 424:References 397:Kim Ryholt 328:portcullis 310:pyramidion 269:false door 134:cu yd 89:c. 1760 BC 61:31°13′26″E 58:29°49′56″N 1113:Sesheshet 1032:Neferefre 981:Lepsius L 782:Lepsius I 360:quartzite 266:quartzite 236:limestone 213:In South 1343:Khendjer 1189:Merikare 1064:Headless 1044:Nyuserre 907:Menkaure 890:Djedefre 789:Athribis 721:Pyramids 407:See also 332:Mazghuna 221:and the 199:his list 167:Khendjer 105:Material 39:Khendjer 1634:Saqqara 1363:SAK S 7 1356:SAK S 3 1108:Pepi II 1103:Merenre 1000:Userkaf 810:el-Kula 713:Dynasty 690:Commons 679:Lepsius 677: ( 624:May 21, 282:reliefs 219:Pepi II 215:Saqqara 1563:Ahmose 1523:Kamose 1433:DAS 53 1426:DAS 51 1419:DAS 50 1412:DAS 49 1405:DAS 46 1279:Hawara 1098:Pepi I 1057:Double 1017:Sahure 902:Khafre 865:Meidum 817:Naqada 768:Buried 762:Djoser 704:Period 550:  523:  463:  368:Hawara 129:Volume 113:Height 1598:Texts 1593:Seked 1555:XVIII 1440:] 1398:] 1384:] 1370:] 1305:] 1292:] 1272:Black 1255:White 1012:] 885:Khufu 858:Seila 838:Sinki 831:] 775:Layer 171:Egypt 141:Slope 1485:XVII 1451:S 10 1330:XIII 1171:Khui 1145:VIII 1093:Teti 1075:Unas 974:G3-c 967:G3-b 960:G3-a 953:G2-a 946:G1-d 939:G1-c 932:G1-b 925:G1-a 872:Bent 626:2006 548:ISBN 521:ISBN 461:ISBN 161:The 121:Base 94:Type 1446:S 9 1236:XII 1166:Ibi 1156:Ity 879:Red 754:III 366:at 144:55° 1625:: 1438:de 1396:de 1382:de 1368:de 1303:de 1290:de 1218:XI 1085:VI 1010:de 849:IV 829:de 612:. 579:. 554:, 542:: 527:, 508:^ 490:^ 471:^ 455:: 431:^ 320:Ra 245:Ka 185:. 41:, 1181:X 992:V 681:) 656:e 649:t 642:v 628:. 590:. 136:)

Index

Drawing of a pyramid surrounded by a wall and with a small temple adjacent to one side.
Khendjer
13th Dynasty
29°49′56″N 31°13′26″E / 29.83222°N 31.22389°E / 29.83222; 31.22389
True pyramid
cu yd

Khendjer
Egypt
Second Intermediate Period
Gustave Jéquier
13th Dynasty
Karl Richard Lepsius
his list
Gustave Jéquier
Saqqara
Pepi II
pyramid of Senusret III
limestone
Rainer Stadelmann
Ka

quartzite
false door
reliefs

royal cubits
pyramidion
Egyptian Museum
Ra

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