Southern South Saqqara Pyramid (Shetayet? Complex)
Southern South Saqqara Pyramid · Shetayet Pyramid · South Saqqara late 13th Dynasty pyramid
Late Middle Kingdom (13th Dynasty)·Ancient Egyptian·🇪🇬 Giza Governorate, South Saqqara south — 100 m south of Khendjer pyramid, Egypt
About
About Southern South Saqqara Pyramid (Shetayet? Complex)
Small, unfinished late Middle Kingdom pyramid 100 m south of the Pyramid of Khendjer at South Saqqara (13th Dynasty, c. 1730–1690 BCE), conventionally the 'Southern South Saqqara Pyramid'. Base 60 × 60 m? Published 52.5 m? Recent re-survey suggests ~60 m. Mudbrick core with limestone casing, central trench substructure never finished — descending corridor ends blind, burial chamber absent. No king name preserved; proposed owners include successor of Khendjer such as Imyremeshaw or Sehetepkare. Excavated by Gustave Jéquier 1929 along with Khendjer. Adjacent to Headless Pyramid but distinct pit. Its unfinished trench proves the late 13th Dynasty pyramid workshops collapsed before completion.
Why it mattersPairs with Khendjer and Ameny Qemau to map the rapid decline of pyramid building at South Saqqara during the 13th Dynasty collapse.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Owner — Sehetepkare? Wegaf?
- 02Why trench never roofed
Theories
- 01Economic collapse after Khendjer exhausted resources
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1730–1690 BCE (13th Dynasty, successor of Khendjer)
- Period
- Late Middle Kingdom (13th Dynasty)
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
- Builders
- Unknown 13th Dynasty successor of Khendjer
- Purpose
- Unfinished royal pyramid
- Abandoned
- c. 1690 BCE (abandoned mid-trench)
- Rediscovered
- 1929 (Gustave Jéquier)
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 1730–1690 BCE (13th Dynasty, successor of Khendjer)
Initial construction
c. 1199 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
29.8292° N · 31.2228° E · 58 m · 2 mapped features
Southern trench
pyramidUnfinished central trench 30 m
29.8292° N · 31.2228° EEnclosure remnant
wallMudbrick enclosure east
29.8293° N · 31.2230° E