White Pyramid

The Amenemhet - II Pyramid is located approximately in the middle of the Dahshur plateau. Today, it is very badly damaged, as you used it as a quarry. The remains of limestones gave it the present name " White Pyramid ". The ancient name of the pyramid was possibly Ba - Amenemhat. The pyramid city was Shechem - Amenemhat During the construction of the pyramid prisoners of war from Asia were used.

The pyramid District

The pyramid district called " Amenemhet is supplied " consists of an elongated, rectangular enclosure, as they are known from the 3rd dynasty. The alignment was carried out in an east-west direction with two massive pylons to the east. Between these the causeway ended in the district. Amenemhat II was the third king of the 12th dynasty. With its grave system, he returned to Dahshur, where Sneferu was already king of the 4th dynasty built the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.

The Pyramid

The pyramid itself is centrally located in the district. It consisted of a skeleton of retaining walls, which were built with limestone. The gaps were simply filled with sand. Casing stones were not found, therefore the angle and height of the pyramid is no longer to determine. The base should have been about 50 m.

The entrance to the pyramid is located in the center of the north side. A before the grave chamber with two case locks secured passage leads to the grave chamber in the center, which were affiliated with four niches for statues. The ceiling of the grave chamber was flat and was relieved by twelve limestone beams.

The sarcophagus of sandstone slabs was embedded in the floor. From the grave chamber of an approximately two-meter deep shaft leading to a further short walk to the north. At the end of this passage, there is a square hole, possibly for the inclusion of the canopic jars.

Research

In the years 1894/95 Jacques de Morgan excavated pyramid in the district. However, he focused on the tombs of the princesses Ita and Chnumet; the wonderful jewelry at that time was a spectacular find (now in the Cairo Museum ). The rest of the district was not at all or only superficially investigated.

After the valley temple has not yet been researched, a comprehensive investigation of the entire pyramid district still stands out.