Sneferu - Part 1
Jan 17th, 2007 by admin
Sneferu is the first king to build a true pyramid, having had a few unsuccessful attempts beforehand.
Three major pyramids are associated with him - The Red Pyramid and Bent pyramids in Dashur, and the oddly shaped collapsed pyramid at Maidum. A number of smaller step pyramids are associated with him too, including one at Seila.
Analysing the monumental building projects of his reign, the evolution of the true pyramid that we are all so familiar with today is clear - the pyramid at Maidum is a step pyramid that was converted into a true pyramid, the Bent pyramid is the first attempt at a smooth pyramid and the Red pyramid is the finalised version.
The pyramid at Maidum was probably started by Sneferu’s predecessor, Huni, and Sneferu merely completed it. When he moved to Dashur, he built two pyramids. The first, the Bent Pyramid, changes angles abruptly about 2/3 of the way up the side, from about 54 degrees 31 minutes to 43 degrees 21 minutes. There are a number of different theories as to why the pyramid was altered, it was done on purpose, it was because the angle was too steep to continue building, it began to collapse or it was too heavy, or to lessen the workload to finish it. No one is sure what the real reason is.
The Bent pyramid is unique for other reasons as well - it has two entrances, and a multitude of chambers inside, although the burial chamber has never been found.
The northern pyramid, the Red pyramid, is the first of the “true” pyramids. It has a very similar angle as the top of the Bent pyramid, which makes it likely that the Bent Pyramid was finished first and the Red pyramid was built based on the lessons learned from the earlier one. The engineering was improved on this second try, and no cracks marred the foundation or the pyramid itself. The inner core of rocks was more carefully fitted together, which made the whole structure more stable. All the casing stones are gone (except for a few on the east side), stolen for later projects.