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The Buried Pyramid (also called the Pyramid of Sekhemkhet) is an unfinished step pyramid constructed ca. 2645 BC for Sekhemkhet Djoserty. This pharaoh was the second of the Third Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, which reigned over Egypt circa 2686–2613 BC and is usually placed at the beginning of the Old Kingdom of Egypt.〔Shaw, Ian, ''Oxford History of Ancient Egypt'', 2000 p. 86〕 Many historians believe that the third dynasty played an important role in the transition from Early Dynastic Period of Egypt to the Age of the Pyramids.〔Lehner, Mark, "The Complete Pyramids – Solving the Ancient Mysteries", 1997 p. 84〕 The pyramid may be visited, but the public is not allowed access to the base and substructures. Sekhemkhet Djoserty was also the successor to the better-known pharaoh Djoser, who was buried in his famous step pyramid at Saqqara. The buried pyramid was originally modelled after Djoser’s step pyramid and is located a few hundred metres southwest. It is also arguable that the pyramid of Sekhemkhet was originally designed to surpass the step pyramid of Djoser but barely made it above ground level and hence was given the name the Buried Pyramid. Its incompletion is thought to have been due to Sekhemkhet's short reign as ruler, which was approximately six years.〔Lehner, Mark, 1997 p. 94〕 ==Archaeological history== The Buried Pyramid was a previously unknown structure until, in 1951, Egyptologist Zakaria Goneim noticed the odd rectangular shape in the desert while excavating the nearby Unas complex. A three part rubble-coursed enclosure wall was first discovered, and by digging to its bottom, it was found to be 5,18 m (17 ft) tall and 18,28 m (60 ft) thick. He later discovered that the wall further extended on both sides to dimensions of 518 m (1700 ft) in the north-south axis and 182,8 m (600 ft) to the east-west and was full of false doors and niches.〔Goneim, Zakaria, "The Lost Pyramid", 1956 p.40〕 The pyramid itself was located at the centre of the complex, with a base length of 115 m (377 ft), it had only one step and was unfinished. During the next stage of excavation, Goneim discovered a descending passage to the north side which led to a gallery blocked with rubble and masonry. There were a number of objects found during the excavation of this gallery including animal bones, demotic papyri, and Third Dynasty stone vessels. In a decayed wooden casket, gold was discovered which included gold bracelets, cosmetic cases, beads, and jars inscribed with Sekhemkhet's name.〔http://www.catchpenny.org/sekhem.html〕 When the blocked wall was breached, on the 31st of May 1954, an unfinished and undecorated burial chamber was discovered. Inside it, lay an alabaster sarcophagus cut from a single block with a vertical lid which seemed to still be sealed. However, on June the 26th 1954, after great difficulties to unblock and raise the lid, the sarcophagus was opened and to everyone’s disappointment, it was empty.〔Lehner, Mark, 1997 p.94〕 Criticism of Goneim and his subsequent suicide on January 12, 1959 dampened the interest in the pyramid and investigation was left incomplete. In 1963, the excavation was re-opened by Jean-Philippe Lauer due to the possibility of a south tomb and his desire to find the missing mummy. Lauer did indeed find a partially destroyed tomb under the southern side that at some point had been looted by robbers. He found a wooden coffin with the remains of an unidentified two-year-old child and gold leaf fragments.〔http://www.catchpenny.org/sekhem.html〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Buried Pyramid」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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