Zawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid
Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE)·Ancient Egyptian (Old Kingdom)·🇪🇬 Minya, Zawiyet el-Meitin, Egypt
About
About Zawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid
Zawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid in Minya, Zawiyet el-Meitin, Egypt is a Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE) pyramid attributed to Ancient Egyptian (Old Kingdom). Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal base 95 × 95 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 28.0550N 15.7940E controls access to Minya resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey pyramid for Minya, Zawiyet el-Meitin, illustrating Ancient Egyptian (Old Kingdom) construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Construction logistics and labour organisation
- 02Astronomical orientation method
Theories
- 01Royal tomb with cult temple axis
- 02Experimental step before true pyramid
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. 2600–2500 BCE
- Period
- Old Kingdom (2686–2181 BCE)
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian (Old Kingdom)
- Purpose
- Royal tomb and ceremonial platform embodying cosmology
- Rediscovered
- 1963 survey
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 2600–2500 BCE
Initial construction of Zawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid main structure
c. 1903
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically
1963–2008
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Zawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
28.0550° N · 15.7940° E · 101 m · 3 mapped features
Zawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid — Main Structure
structurePrincipal pyramid — Base 95 × 95 m with diagnostic masonry/panel
28.0558° N · 15.7949° EZawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid — Ancillary Complex
complexAncillary settlement debris and ceramics surrounding main feature
28.0540° N · 15.7933° EZawiyet el-Meitin Small Step Pyramid — Peripheral Feature
outlierPeripheral feature with outlier deposit and burial
28.0565° N · 15.7952° E