History contains millions of astonishing stories pertaining to our ancestors, the roles they played and even the things they created. One of the most fascinating things that’s still available for the world to visit are the Pyramids. While most of us don’t have the funds to visit any Pyramid site in person, we tend to search for documentation, articles and other sources to fulfill our curiosity. With that said, there is a particular pyramid that is very popular and holds many fascinating stories. Want to know what pyramid is being referred too? Well, that pyramid is Lahun or the El Lahun and is located in Faiyum, Egypt.
The Lahun or El Lahun’s appearance!
Lahun is known as the workers’ village associated with the Pyramid of Senuret II. The Lahun Pyramid is made of mud brick but consists of an arrangement of stone walls in the core. The stone walls were infilled by mud brick to provide and ensure stability of the brick structure. What makes the Lahun Pyramid stand out from the rest is the fact that its entrance is located south rather than east of the temple. The entrance leads to several complicated corridors that surround the burial room uniquely designed in order to trick thieves. The pyramid sits 48 meters high and the length of the base is 106 meters.
When was the Lahun or El Lahun’s Pyramid discovered and what
other discoveries involves the pyramid?
The Lahun is one of the greatest Twelfth Dynasty pyramids. It is thought that village of workers, known as the Kahun, constructed the pyramid and later served the funerary cult of the king. In 1888-90 and also 1914, the village was excavated by Petrie. As a result, it was found that a large number of items involving everyday life by the villagers were left behind in the houses. Wooden boxes, for example, were found buried beneath the floors of several homes. These boxes were discovered to have contained skeletons of infants. According to research studies, Petrie reburied the infants’ remains in the desert.
There are also findings of painted wooden coffins near the Lahun Pyramid consisting of bright hues of green, red and white bearing images of their occupants.
Over the next few dynasties, the appearance of the coffins changed as well as the hieroglyph on these. A few Archaeologists unearthed hundreds of mummies but only a few of them were well preserved. However, each of them were inscribed with prayers to help the deceased in the afterlife. Archaeologists have indicated that some of the tombs are from different times within Egyptian history. Some probably were from the First and Second Dynasties dating back to 2750 BC, while at least twelve were discovered to belong to the 18th Dynasty. This probably is why many of the burials were handled differently.
There is still much more to be discovered about this particular pyramid, so stay tuned for more historical information as archaeologists continue to study this monument.