04b: Buried Pyramids

Previously unreleased. Following the death of Netjerykhet Djoser (episode 4), Egyptians had achieved something magnificent. The Step Pyramid at Saqqara loomed over the horizon, in a palatial complex that rivaled earthly cities. Naturally, the next rulers would try to match, even surpass, the great monument. They failed in this quest, but their attempts are fascinating. In this episode, we fill in a lesser-known gap, in the history of ancient Egypt's pyramids. At the same time, we tell the tale of a renowned archaeologist, Mohamed Zakariah Goneim, whose work and influence deserve greater recognition...

Episode details:

• Date: c. 2670 — 2630 BCE
• Kings: Netjerykhet (Djoser); Sekhem-khet; Kha-ba.
• Logo: The entrance to Sekhemkhet's pyramid at Saqqara. See more at wikimedia.
• Music: Keith Zizza www.keithzizza.net.
• Support the show at www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast.
• References and images at www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com.
• Episode written 2019/2020. Released to Patreon subscribers 2021. Released to public 2022.

Select references:

• Andrzej Ćwiek, “Date and Function of the So-Called Minor Step Pyramids,” Göttingen Miszellen 162 (1998): 39–52.
• Raphael Giveon, "A Second Relief of Sekhemkhet in Sinai," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 216 (1974): 17-20.
• M. Zakaria Goneim, The Buried Pyramid, 1956.
• Jean-Philippe Lauer, "Le Complexe Funéraire De L'horus Sekhem-Khet Et La Seconde Pyramide A Degrés De Saqqarah," Revue Archéologique 2 (1959): 89-95.
• Ronald J. Leprohon, The Great Name: Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary, 2013.
• Stephan J. Seidlmayer, "The Relative Chronology of Dynasty 3," in E. Hornung, R. Krauss, and D. Warburton (eds), Ancient Egyptian Chronology, 2006: 116-23.

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