Talking Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

A burial chamber containing a pink granite sarcophagus with a black basalt lid has been discovered at South Saqqara by a French archaeological mission.

Although badly damaged, the walls are covered in texts which contain the name of the tomb’s owner, ‘Behenu’, thought to be the Queen of either Pepi I or Pepi II, and dates to the Sixth Dynasty over 4000 years ago.

Leader of the French team Dr Philippe Collombert, said that it is not clear whether Behenu was the queen of Pepi I or Pepi II, who’s pyramids are also in the South Saqqara region.

“It is a well-preserved granite sarcophagus engraved with the queen’s different titles, but says nothing about the identity of her husband”.

One of these titles was “the king’s wife and beloved.”

The black basalt lid was found beside the sarcophagus prompting suggestions that it might belong to another sarcophagus. The sarcophagus is full of sand and it is not yet known if the body still lies inside, burried underneath the sand.

Some of the north wall remains and texts can be seen inscribed on it’s inner side. Painted green to symbolise regeneration and rebirth, these texts are recognised as the Pyramid Texts, first discovered in the pyramid of Unas. The texts form part of the offering rituals and the following words are repeated over and over on the wall:

“Osiris Behenu, take the Eye of Horus …”

The pyramid of Behenu, which was first discovered in 2007, is located to the west of Pepi I’s pyramid, in the north-west corner of the Queens’ complex. It is marked in the satellite image below with a green marker pin:

View South Saqqara in a larger map

So far the mission has determined the location of seven pyramids belonging to the Sixth Dynasty. These are thought to belong to the followng queens: Inenek, Nubunet, Meretites II, Ankhespepy III, Miha, and an as yet unidentified queen.

However, Collombert said that Behenu’s pyramid is only the second pyramid that contained religous texts on it’s walls.

Dimensions:
Pyramid: side of 25 meters and the burial chamber itself measuring 10 by 5 meters.
Sarcophagus: 2.6-meters long.

Sources:
Discovery
Reuters

Photographs of Behenu’s tomb courtesy of SCA.
Photograph of Pepi I’s Queens’ complex used with permission, copyright Su Bayfield.

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Tags: language, pepi, pyramid texts, Saqqara