The pyramid of Egyptian

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

 pharaoh

Pharaoh

Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...

 Djedkare-Isesi

Djedkare Isesi

Djedkare Isesi in Greek known as Tancheres from Manetho's Aegyptiaca, was a Pharaoh of Egypt during the Fifth dynasty. He is assigned a reign of twenty-eight years by the Turin Canon although some Egyptologists believe this is an error and should rather be thirty-eight years...

was built at South Saqqara

Saqqara

Saqqara is a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara features numerous pyramids, including the world famous Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of...

 in the fifth dynasty

Fifth dynasty of Egypt

The fifth dynasty of ancient Egypt is often combined with Dynasties III, IV and VI under the group title the Old Kingdom. Dynasty V dates approximately from 2494 to 2345 BC.-Rulers:...

. The translation of its ancient Egyptian name

Egyptian language

Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...

 is Beautiful is Djedkare. The pyramid was the first one to be built south of the main Saquara necropolis. Today the pyramid is referred to as 'The Sentinel' (el-Shawaf) by the locals.

Construction

The complex includes the main pyramid, a satellite pyramid and an associated pyramid which is probably that of his unnamed consort, and is hence known as The Pyramid of the Unknown Queen.

The core of the pyramid was composed of six steps of irregularly shaped limestone blocks. Its original height was around 52 m. The angle of inclination was 52° and it has a base length of 78.75 m.

Despite extensive counter measures which included three huge portcullises slabs, plunderers were still able to penetrate to the burial chamber.

Modern excavation

The pyramid was first explored in 1880 by Gaston Maspero

Gaston Maspero

Gaston Camille Charles Maspero was a French Egyptologist.-Life:Gaston Maspero was born in Paris to parents of Lombard origin. While at school he showed a special taste for history, and by the age of fourteen he was already interested in hieroglyphic writing...

. In the 1940s the pyramid was excavated by Abdel Salam Hussein (his work on the site was never published).

Upon entrance of the burial chamber a smashed dark grey basalt sarcophagus

Sarcophagus

A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...

was discovered, a mummy estimated to belong to a fifty year old man was found amongst the debris. This discovery indicated that Djedkare-Isesi must have been very young when he ascended the throne given his 32+ year reign.

External links

• The Pyramid Complex of Djedkare-Isesi