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Other Archaeological Sites / The Neolithic of the Levant (500 Page Book Online) Ancient Meidum
Meidum is located on the west bank of the Nile in northern Egypt five miles south of Saqqara. Its cemetery represents the transition from the royal cemeteries of the Third Dynasty to those of the Fourth Dynasty. The cemetery has a pyramid and numerous mastabas which are large -- flat -- rectangular tombs made of mud-brick or stone. The mysterious Meidum Pyramid represents one stage in the transition from the step pyramid at Saqqara to the pyramids at Giza, which represents the peak of Egyptian pyramid building. It is thought that it was originally begun as a step pyramid built for Huni, the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty. However his son Sneferu (2613-2494 BC), the first pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, completed and modified it, filling in the eight steps to create the flat surface of a true pyramid. The final structure was not sturdy and partially collapsed ... |
