Ancient Step Pyramid Excavated (Finally)

4,600-Year-Old Step Pyramid Uncovered in Egypt

 By Owen Jarus, LiveScience Contributor 7 hours ago

TORONTO — Archaeologists working near the ancient settlement of Edfu, in southern Egypt, have uncovered a step pyramid that dates back about 4,600 years, predating the Great Pyramid of Giza by at least a few decades.

The step pyramid, which once stood as high as 43 feet (13 meters), is one of seven so-called "provincial" pyramids built by either the pharaoh Huni (reign ca. 2635-2610 B.C.) or Snefru (reign ca. 2610-2590 B.C.). Over time, the step pyramid's stone blocks were pillaged, and the monument was exposed to weathering, so today, it's only about 16 feet (5 m) tall.

The site.

Scattered throughout central and southern Egypt, the provincial pyramids are located near major settlements, have no internal chambers and were not intended for burial. Six of the seven pyramids have almost identical dimensions, including the newly uncovered one at Edfu, which is about 60 x 61 feet (18.4 x 18.6 m). [See Photos of the Newly Uncovered Step Pyramid]

Zahi Hawass Strikes Again!

But this time, it's a great marketing idea for archaeology :) Now darlings, bear with me, because I have no idea how to embed the code needed to post a You Tube video here (much to my dismay), so I'm just going to give you the url link (I hope). I have to say, it's a good one, and I'm no fan of Zahi Hawass. Found this at The Daily Grail: Restoring the Step Pyramid May 4, 2009 Here's a new video on the restoration of the Step Pyramid of Djoser (and uncovering of his massive granite sarcophagus), featuring - of course - Dr Zahi Hawass. Djoser's pyramid is one of the earliest examples of monumental work on a truly massive scale, predating the Giza pyramids by a couple of centuries.