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Pyramidion-like stone found at the pyramid at Hawara. The function is unknown, it might have been a model of a pyramid. |
The pyramidion
Pyramidion (Egyptian: bnbnt) is the name of the top piece of a pyramid. Not many pyramidia of pyramids of the Old and Middle Kingdom have been found (Old Kingdom: Dahshur). The pyramidia of the Old Kingdom are uninscribed. The pyramidia known from the Middle Kingdom (Senusret II, Amenemhat III in Dahshur/ Khendjer/ Merneferre) have inscriptions.
Inscriptions found at the mortuary temple of queen Udjebten and of king Sahure (Hawass/Verner 1996: 181, fig. 1a) show that at least the pyramidia of their pyramids were covered with electron.
It must have been a special technical problem to place a pyramidion on top of a pyramid.
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Pyramidion-like stone found at the pyramid at Hawara. The function is unknown, it might have been a model of a pyramid. |
fragments from the pyramidion found at Lahun
further reading:
Arnold 1987: 14-16 (list of the 15 known royal pyramidia of the Old and Middle Kingdom)
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