Lepsius-I Pyramid

Welcome to the rugged, northernmost edge of the Memphite necropolis, the site of Abu Rawash. We are looking at the remnants of one of the most anomalous and puzzling monuments in all of Egypt: the Lepsius-I Pyramid. …

Focus your attention on the primary building material of this ruin: mudbrick. In ancient Egypt, sun-baked mudbrick, made from Nile silt and straw, was the standard material for domestic architecture, palaces, and administrative…

As you examine the base of the structure, you will notice that the builders did not start on a flat, cleared plateau. Instead, they employed a highly efficient engineering shortcut. …

Beneath the massive mudbrick and rock superstructure lies a network of subterranean chambers. Like the Layer Pyramid we discussed previously, the builders cut deeply into the solid bedrock to create the funerary apartments. …

The bizarre nature of the Lepsius-I Pyramid has led to a fascinating archaeological theory known as the 'provincial pyramid' hypothesis. During the late Third Dynasty and early Fourth Dynasty, several small, step pyramids were…

If we reject the provincial hypothesis and assume it was intended as a royal tomb, the question of ownership is paramount. The most compelling candidate proposed by some Egyptologists is King Huni, the very last pharaoh of the…

As we observe the structure today, we are witnessing the profound, slow-motion violence of geological time. The Lepsius-I Pyramid is the ultimate victim of its own materials. …

As we leave the site of the Lepsius-I Pyramid, we carry with us a profound mystery. It is a structure that defies easy categorization. …