The Ancient Names Of The Pyramids
Ancient Egypt|March / April 2021
We know Egypt’s pyramids by names such as the ‘Bent Pyramid’, ‘Red Pyramid’ and ‘Meidum Pyramid’ but their ancient names are far more poetic, as revealed by Andrew Fulton.
Andrew Fulton
The Ancient Names Of The Pyramids

To the ancient Egyptians, a name was important. The name of a person formed part of their existence both in life and in the afterlife, while the multiplicity of names and epithets for the pharaohs were highly significant, encapsulating the king’s ‘mission statement’ and allegiance to a particular god (see AE82 and AE83). What is perhaps less well known is that the pyramids also had their own names which incorporated the name of the pharaoh who built them. Not all of these names have survived, but the names we do know are always preceded by the name of the pharaoh and end with the hieroglyph for a pyramid or, in the case of Shepseskaf, a mastaba.

Fourth Dynasty c. 2613-2494 BC

Sneferu

Sneferu Endures

The earliest pyramid names to survive are those of the Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Sneferu. Sneferu built several pyramids, with one at Meidum and two at Dahshur. There are also a number of small step pyramids dotted across Upper Egypt which were probably built by Sneferu, but whose purpose remains a mystery. The one at Seila has definitely been identified as belonging to him. The pyramid at Meidum (Sneferu Endures) was the first, built originally as a step pyramid but later converted into a true pyramid and which today (see opposite, top) is in a collapsed state. It is known locally as Haram el-Kaddeb or the False Pyramid. The next two are at Dahshur:

Sneferu Appears/Shines – Pyramid of the South

This story is from the March / April 2021 edition of Ancient Egypt.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the March / April 2021 edition of Ancient Egypt.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ANCIENT EGYPTView All
INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER
Ancient Egypt

INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER

Sean McLachlan explores the recently reopened interior of this iconic Third Dynasty Saqqara monument.

time-read
2 mins  |
July/ August 2021
PER MESUT: for younger readers
Ancient Egypt

PER MESUT: for younger readers

She Who Loves Silence

time-read
4 mins  |
July/ August 2021
Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband
Ancient Egypt

Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband

Campbell Price describes an offering table with a touching significance.

time-read
2 mins  |
July/ August 2021
Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth
Ancient Egypt

Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth

Campbell Price describes the significance of two statue busts on display in the Museum.

time-read
2 mins  |
May / June 2021
TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy
Ancient Egypt

TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy

Rosalie David and Eileen Murphy explain how scientific examination of the ‘Belfast Mummy’ is revealing much new information about her life and times.

time-read
9 mins  |
May / June 2021
Lost Golden City
Ancient Egypt

Lost Golden City

An Egyptian Mission searching for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun has discovered a settlement – “The Dazzling of Aten” – described as the largest city ever found in Egypt (see above). Finds bearing the cartouches of Amenhotep III (see opposite, top) date the settlement to his reign, c. 1390-1352 BC – making it about 3400 years old.

time-read
2 mins  |
May / June 2021
Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem
Ancient Egypt

Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem

BOOK REVIEWS

time-read
2 mins  |
May / June 2021
Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price
Ancient Egypt

Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price

BOOK REVIEWS

time-read
2 mins  |
May / June 2021
Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara
Ancient Egypt

Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara

An Egyptian team working on a Sixth Dynasty pyramid complex near the Teti pyramid at Saqqara has made a series of important discoveries.

time-read
1 min  |
March / April 2021
Map Of Egypt
Ancient Egypt

Map Of Egypt

What’s in a name? It is easy for us to forget that the names we associate with the pyramids – such as the Meidum Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid or the Black Pyramid – would have been meaningless to their builders.

time-read
3 mins  |
March / April 2021