Pyramidion

The Pyramidion is the name for the top, last capstone of a pyramid or obelisk. This stone is hewn pyramid and was probably transported up the construction of a pyramid of stone location to location with stone.

Finds

Few of these pyramid tips have been preserved, as they could easily fall in strong earthquakes. From the Old Kingdom alone that of the Red Pyramid of Sneferu is obtained which is unfortunately badly damaged. Get out of the Middle Kingdom are fragments of pyramidion of Sesostris II - pyramid of El- Lahun, which is the first labeled and also labeled the Pyramid of Amenemhet III of Pyramidion. from Dahshur. In the meantime, dated 2 two Pyramidien begun a tomb from the 13th Dynasty in South Saqqara, another, again labeled, I. of the Pyramid of Chendjer, the Pyramidion Aja and the mud brick pyramid of Nub - cheper -Re Anjotef in Dra Abu el- Naga. From the New Kingdom come numerous decorated Pyramidien of tombs, which were allowed to be built at this time also as pyramids.

Details of the pyramidion of Amenemhet III.

The Pyramidion also the "Black Pyramid" said building, the Pharaoh Amenemhat III. from the 12th Dynasty in the Middle Kingdom, right at the beginning of his reign and so even before 1800 BC he set at Dahshur, where in 1900 AD was found in the rubble at the Südbasis. The pyramid-shaped capstone measures about 1.85 m as a side length of the square base and about 1.40 m in height; it is made of black granite and provided with inscriptions. Maybe the stone was as well as the peaks covered many obelisks earlier still with electrum, a metallic alloy of gold and silver.

But the little impugned smooth surface also allows for the assumption that this Pyramidion was never set up as a peak of a pyramid. As demonstrated already during the construction subsidence and cracks of serious for its underground building - that would become the tallest in the Middle Kingdom pyramid, assuming a slope angle of about 57 ° with a good 80 meters or was - let Amenemhat III. soon after this first building a second start of the Hawara pyramid of the same footprint (side length about 105 meters), but at a lower angle of inclination ( about 49 ° ) and elsewhere (near the Sesostris - II Pyramid in Faiyum Basin ).