LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOlOGY. EGYPT AND THE ... - CFEETK - CNRS

Programme and abstracts volume
ALEXANIAN Nicole 1 , BEBERMEIER Wiebke 2 , BLASCHTA Dirk 1 , RAMISCH Arne 2 ,
SEIDLMAYER Stephan Johannes 1 , SCHÜTT Brigitta 2
The discovery of the lower causeway of the Bent Pyramid and the
reconstruction of the Ancient Landscape at Dahshur (Egypt)
1 German Archaeological Institute, Cairo, 31 Sh. Abu el-Feda, 11211 Cairo, Egypt and Free University of Berlin,
Egyptological Institute, Altensteinstr. 33, 14195 Berlin, F.R., Germany
2 Free University of Berlin, Department of Earth Sciences, Physical Geography, Campus Lankwitz House H,
Malteserstr. 74-100, 12249 Berlin, F.R., Germany
Presenting author: Nicole Alexanian
E-mail: alexania@zedat.fu-berlin.de
Tel: +20 (0) 108606189 / +20 (0) 227351460 (ext. 116) / +49 (0) 308558714
The vast necropolis of Dahshur is one of the largest pyramid cemeteries of the Old and
Middle Kingdom (2,600 – 1,700 BC). The cemetery is located in the desert, approximately 30
km south of Cairo. The most prominent monuments are the Red Pyramid and the Bent
Pyramid, which were erected by King Sneferu and three pyramids of the 12 th Dynasty.
The pyramid complex of the Bent Pyramid was excavated by Ahmed Fakhry from 1951 to
1955. From his excavations, the basic layout is known, including the pyramid and its temple
as well as a stone-built causeway linking the pyramid precinct to a lower temple. From
Fakhry´s plans, it was also evident that a lower causeway, built from mud brick, led up from
the valley to the temple. However the course and design of this lower causeway remained
unknown until now.
The German Archaeological Institute took up this issue again in 2008. Based on a
magnetometric survey, drill core soundings and excavation trenches, it was possible to
ascertain the existence of this lower causeway deep below the present surface on the floor of
the wadi which leads up to the temple. The vaulted causeway is preserved to a height of 3 m.
Coming from the temple after 140 m it leads into an U-shaped area by 90 x 145 m which is
defined by mudbrick walls. This area is possibly to be interpreted as a harbour basin such as it
is known from later pyramid complexes.
Geomorphological and sedimentological investigations made clear that the wadi changed its
shape fundamentally in historic times. During the Old Kingdom, it was much deeper, approx.
6 m below the present surface, and led up to the site of the lower temple in a steep course. It
was not until the period between the Old Kingdom and the Ramesside period that the wadi
was levelled to its present shape through aeolian (wind) events. It also became obvious that
the appearance of the natural wadi was intensely altered by human impact. The floor levels of
the basin will be discussed in the light of floodplain and settlement levels.
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