The Headless Pyramid in Saqqara, Egypt was rediscovered in 2008 after being lost for over 150 years. It was first located by German archaeologist Karl Lepsius in the 1800s, but was covered by quicksand shortly after. The pyramid is badly eroded and believed to have been built to honor King Kenkauhor in the Old Kingdom. A processional road and the lack of a labyrinth support this dating. Visitors can view the pyramid by prior arrangement or join guided tours of the Saqqara necropolis.
The Headless Pyramid is a pyramid in Egypt that was thought lost for over 150 years before it was rediscovered in 2008 by a dedicated archaeological team. This pyramid has long been a topic of discussion and debate, making the rediscovery of the headless pyramid an exciting event for many Egyptologists. Now that the pyramid has been found, studies of the site and surrounding area may be able to provide more information about it.
German archaeologist Karl Lepsius was the first to locate the headless pyramid, in the 1800s. His name referred to the fact that the top of the pyramid was missing. The head of the pyramid is believed to have been removed for housing at some point, rather than eroding naturally. Shortly after its discovery, quicksand covered the pyramid and no one was able to identify it. The fact that he saw the pyramid clearly spurred archaeologists to try to find it, using his data to pinpoint the precise location of the headless pyramid so they could begin excavating.
This pyramid is located south of Cairo in a necropolis known as Saqqara. The headless pyramid is located in the northern area of the necropolis, and when it was finally excavated, it was found to be badly eroded. In addition to the missing top, many of the sides had also crumbled or disappeared, leaving more footprints than a real pyramid. Using the layout of the pyramid and the surrounding temple complex, along with the unique granite used for the sarcophagus, archaeologists have dated the headless pyramid to the Old Kingdom and suggested it was built to honor King Kenkauhor, an Egyptian monarch of short term .
In addition to the headless pyramid and surrounding complex, the crew also found a processional road that was used to transport sacred objects to the pyramid. The team’s researchers noted that the headless pyramid lacked the distinctive labyrinth used in Middle Kingdom construction, using it as firm evidence to support their dating, and estimates appear to suggest it was built some 200 years after the famous Giza pyramids. .
As with other archaeological sites, access to the headless pyramid is controlled, to ensure the site is not damaged, but visitors can view the pyramid by prior arrangement, or join guided tours of the Saqqara necropolis if they wish. For non-archaeologists, the site may not be very exciting, thanks to the fact that the pyramid is largely gone.
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