A joint Egyptian-German team of archaeologists from the University of Würzburg has made a groundbreaking discovery at the Abu Sir archaeological site near Giza, where they uncovered a number of storage chambers within the pyramid of King Sahure for the first time.
The discovery offers insight into the architectural design of King Sahure’s pyramid, according to the secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, Mostafa Waziri. The Old Kingdom’s monarch ruled from 2487-2457 B.C., making him the second ruler of the Fifth Dynasty (2487 – 2457 B.C.) and the first king buried in the Abu Sir region.
The Egyptian-German archaeological team, headed by Egyptologist Mohamed Ismail Khaled, discovered eight chambers within the pyramid of King Sahure.
When the excavation is complete, these storage facilities will be made available for future research projects. In addition, according to Waziri, they are scheduled to be opened to both Egyptian and international visitors in the near future.
According to Khaled, the northern and southern portions of the storage area, including the ceiling and floor, have sustained significant damage over the years. However, remnants of the original architectural design are still discernible.
The team succeeded in revealing the original dimensions of the front room of the king’s burial chamber, which had suffered extensive damage over the years in the eastern wall and northeastern corner. The mission was able to discover only a 30-centimeter section of the eastern wall, which necessitated the construction of new retaining walls to replace the damaged ones.
The discovery is believed to have improved the scientific community’s understanding of the interior layout of King Sahure’s pyramid.
They have also unearthed remnants of a low corridor, which the English architect John Perring mentioned in 1836. Perring was one of the first explorers to discover the interior of the pyramid, but due to its deteriorating structural condition, he was unable to continue. He hypothesized that this corridor led to a series of storage chambers for funeral goods.
Using cutting-edge technology, such as 3D laser scanning, the Egyptian-German team mapped and examined this corridor with great care. Together with 3D Geoscan, an Egyptian company that offers state-of-the-art solutions for 3D geospatial and 3D modeling, they conducted a comprehensive survey of the newly discovered areas within the pyramid. This allowed them to construct detailed maps of the vast outdoor areas, narrow passageways, and interior chambers.
The Antiquities Endowment Fund of the American Research Center in Egypt provided vital support for the archaeological mission that began in 2019 as a part of the conservation and restoration project for the Pyramid of King Sahure. The primary objective of the endeavor is to preserve the interior portions of King Sahure’s pyramid, and this latest discovery represents a major milestone in their ongoing efforts.
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