Snofru (2575-2551)
With the reign of Snofru, an elaborate and monumental building started that would earn the 4th Dynasty the title of 'Age of the Pyramids'.
Snofru Quick Facts
ChronologyDynasty: 4th
Predecessor: Huni
Successor: Kheops
Highest Year: 24th Cattle Count
Reign: 2575 - 2551 BC.
Family
Father: Huni (?)
Mother: Meresankh I
Wives: Hetepheres I and at least two unnamed queens
Children: Kanefer, Kheops, Nefermaat, Rahotep, Ranofer, Hetepheres and perhaps Ankhaf
Biography of Snofru
Snofru, the first king of the 4th Dynasty, probably was the son of his predecessor Huni and Meresankh I, one of Huni’s secondary wives.
His marriage to his half-sister, Hetepheres I, appears to have legitimised his claim to the throne. Although the kings of the 4th Dynasty are thus descendants of the kings of the 3rd Dynasty, Manetho justifies his placing them in a separate dynasty because Snofru came from a different line in the royal family.Next to Hetepheres, Snofru was married to at least two other but unknown queens, with whom he had several children. A first queen bore him several children, among whom Nefermaat, Rahotep and Ranofer.
Hetepheres I only seems to have born him one child, Kheops.
With a third wife, Snofru may perhaps only have had one or two children: Kanefer and Ankhaf.
Nefermaat and Rahotep were buried at the cemetery of Meidum, near the pyramid often wrongly credited to Huni. This seems to indicate that they were an older ‘generation’ of Snofru’s offspring, from before he moved to the newer burial grounds of Dashur, some 45 km to the North.
According to Manetho, the first king of the 4th Dynasty ruled for 29 years, but the Turin Canon (column 3, line 9) only credits him with 24 years. The Palermo Stone mentions a 6th to 8th cattle count, but is unfortunately fragmentary at this point. It does show, however, that the cattle counts during Snofru's reign were not always held at 2-year intervals, making it difficult to asses how long this king really ruled.
The highest year count that has been found for Snofru is his 24th, indicating a minimum rule of 24 years and a maximum of 49.
Still according to the Palermo Stone, Snofru organised an expedition to Lebanon to obtain the high quality cedar wood needed for the building of ships, holy barks and doors of palaces. He also ordered one or more military expeditions into Nubia, bringing back a large quantity of people and cattle and is believed to be the founder of the fortress Buhen, near the 2nd cataract in Nubia. Although his presence in the Sinai is no more unusual as that of his predecessors, he would later be worshipped as a god in this region.
His internal policy seems to have been aimed at maintaining royalty and the royal family. Most, but not all, of the high-placed officials and nobles at his court were members of his family. He was also responsible for rearranging the land ownership among his nobles, probably to prevent them from becoming too powerful but also to stimulate the cultivation of marshes.
It is generally believed that Snofru was responsible for the completion of his predecessor’s pyramid at Meidum, although there is no evidence at all of Huni's involvement in the building of that pyramid. It is therefor possible that Snofru built the pyramid at Meidum, as well two pyramids at Dashur. It is unknown why Snofru moved the location of the burial grounds to Dashur and not back to the more traditional Saqqara.The Meidum Pyramid is often credited to Huni, but it was at least completed or even completely built by Snofru.
The angle of the sides of the southern pyramid at Dashur, believed by some to be the oldest of the two, was changed from 54°31 to 43°21 somewhere halfway the building, resulting in the unique shape of this so-called 'Bent Pyramid'. It has been argued that the angle was decreased in order to decrease the mass of the pyramid, fearing it would crumble otherwise, or in order to diminish the workload.
The northern pyramid is the first "true" pyramid, with an angle of 43°36. It is called the 'Red Pyramid' because of the colour its stones reflect at sunset. The fact that it has almost the same angle as the top of the Bent Pyramid, has sustained the belief that the Bent Pyramid was the oldest of the two.
Snofru also became somewhat of a popular figure after his death. His monuments are mentioned in the Middle Kingdom story of Sinuhe and he himself is described as a wise and kind ruler in the story on the Westcar PapyrusThe Red Pyramid was the first fully geometrical pyramid. It owes its modern-day name to the red granite that was used to construct its core.
Titulary of Snofru
Horus Name
Hr nb mAa.t snfrwHorus, the lord of Maat is Snofru
Nebti Name
Golden Falcon Name]
Prenomen
Africanus: Sôris
Eusebius: does not appear to mention SnofruAlternative names in modern-day literature
Snefru,
Sneferu,
Seneferu,
Snéfrou,
Snéferou,
Snofrou
Pyramids
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 98
The
internal structure of the pyramid is fairly simple, compared to its
successors, but at the same time it was an innovation that would become
the standard for generations to come.
The entrance is located in the north face of the pyramid, above ground level. A descending passage goes down to below ground level and ends in a horizontal passage. Two small chambers or niches open to the left and right of this passage. At the end of this passage, a vertical shaft leads up to the burial chamber, which is located at ground level. This is the first pyramid to have a room inside its actual core. In order to deal with the pressure of the pyramid pushing down on the burial chamber, the builders used the technique of corbelling, with each course of the roof of the chamber projecting inwards as it got higher.
The burial chamber measures 5.9 by 2.65 metres, which is quite small, yet another sign that the builders were experimenting. There is no sarcophagus and no trace of a burial.
Outside the pyramid many elements that would become the standard for pyramid complexes to come were already present as well. A chapel, measuring 9.18 by 9 metres, was built against its eastern face.
To the south, there was a small satellite pyramid. It has an entrance in its north face with a descending passage leading down to the burial chamber. It was already heavily destroyed when it was found.Traces of an enclosure wall, measuring some 236 by 218 metres surrounding this complex have also been found, as well as a causeway, cut in the bedrock and encased in limestone.
It is clear that this complex marks the transition from the Early Dynastic funerary complexes to those of the Old Kingdom. The original shape of the pyramid still reflects the 3rd Dynasty tradition, but the building technique, the presence of a satellite pyramid, an eastern chapel and a causeway herald the tradition of the Old Kingdom.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 102
The internal structure of the Bent Pyramid is as innovative as the pyramid itself. Unlike any other pyramid, there are two internal structures: with entrances in the North and West sides.
From the north, a passage descends down to an antechamber. In order to deal with the downward pressure of the pyramid on this chamber, its roof was made of different courses, with each course projecting more inwards than the course below. This technique, known as corbelling, was also used for the pyramid at Meidum. The burial chamber, also with a corbelled roof, is located above the antechamber.The second entrance, in the West face of the pyramid, lead down via a descending passage to a horizontal corridor which was intended to be blocked by some portcullis slabs. The second burial chamber, behind these portcullises, also has a corbelled roof. It is at a higher level than the first burial chamber. Scaffoldings of cedar beams were intended to give the room some additional support.
After they were completed, the two burial chambers were connected by a passage that was cut out through the existing masonry. It is not known why Snofru wanted to have two burial chambers in this pyramid, but perhaps this too can be explained by the clear experimental nature of this monument.
Probably at around the same time as when the slope of the main pyramid was decreased, work started to the South to build a smaller satellite pyramid. This pyramid, with a base length of 53 metres and a height of 32.5 metres, was probably an adaptation of the concept of the South Tomb found in the complex of Netjerikhet at Saqqara. Its internal structure is a precursor for the pyramid of Kheops at Giza. It has a descending and then an ascending passage, with a smaller version of Kheops' Grand Gallery. The actual burial chamber is far too small for a human burial and may probably have been intended to house the Ka statue of the king.Between the satellite and the main pyramid, there was a small offering place. Two funerary stelae, bearing the titulary of Snofru, were erected along the east face of the satellite pyramid.
A small offering chapel, also with two funerary stelae, was built against the east face of the main pyramid. Like the eastern chapel of the pyramid of Meidum, this chapel is too small to be an actual mortuary temple.
An enclosure wall surrounded both the main and satellite pyramids, with a causeway leading from its Northeast towards a small rectangular structure in the East, about halfway down to the valley. This structure shares features of both Valley Temples and Mortuary Temples in later pyramid complexes. It has the courtyard, pillars and statues that would become traditional in later mortuary temples, but it was built at some distance of the pyramid, which is typical for the Valley Temple.
Even though this pyramid was finally completed, including additional constructions such as the satellite pyramid and the Mortuary Temple, Snofru was buried in his third pyramid: the Red Pyramid, built a couple of kilometres North of the Bent Pyramid.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, pp. 104-105
The
entrance is located high up in the Northern face of the pyramid. A
descending passage leads down for 62.63 metres to a short horizontal
corridor. This is followed by two almost identical antechambers with
corbelled roofs. Both antechambers measure 3.65 by 8.36 metres and are
12.31 metres high.
The burial chamber can only be reached via a short passage which opens high up in the wall of the second antechamber. The burial chamber measures 4.18 by 8.55 metres. Its corbelled roof goes up to a height of 14.67 metres. It is located well above ground level, in the core of the pyramid.
The chapel built against the Eastern face of the pyramid was finished hastily, probably after the death of Snofru. It is somewhat more elaborate than the eastern chapel of the Red Pyramid or the pyramid at Meidum in that it houses an inner sanctuary, flanked by two smaller chapels.There is no trace of a causeway leading down to the Valley Temple, of which few remains were found at the end of the 19th century.
There is little doubt that Snofru was finally buried in this pyramid, although the fragments of human remains found inside the burial chamber are not certain to have been his.Interestingly, during the reign of Pepi I of the 6th Dynasty, this pyramid along with its southern neighbour, the Bent Pyramid, was considered as one estate.
Nebti Name
- nb.tj nb mAa.tNebti, the lord of Maat
Golden Falcon Name]
- bik nbwThe golden falcon
Prenomen
- snfrwSnofru
- snfrw
- snfrw
- snfrw
- snfrSnofru
Africanus: Sôris
Eusebius: does not appear to mention SnofruAlternative names in modern-day literature
Snefru,
Sneferu,
Seneferu,
Snéfrou,
Snéferou,
Snofrou
Pyramids
Snofru is credited with building at least two pyramid complexes and perhaps three, making the transition of the late Early Dynastic step pyramid into a true pyramid.
Meidum Pyramid
Started as a Step Pyramid but then converted into a true pyramid, the pyramid at Meidum marks the transition from the Early Dynastic Period to the Old Kingdom.
It has often been assumed that the original builder of this Step Pyramid was Huni, the last king of the 3rd Dynasty. This is, however, merely based on the desire to credit at least one major building to this otherwise elusive king. Huni's name has not been found in or near the Meidum Pyramid, making it quite unlikely that this monument was built for him.
The fact that the pyramid was named 'Snofru Endures' has led others to suggest that it was Snofru who built this monument. The fact that none of the mastabas surrounding the pyramid are older than the early 4th Dynasty and that several sons of Snofru were buried there also confirms that the pyramid must be dated to the beginning of the 4th rather than the end of the 3rd Dynasty.
Recent archaeological research has led to the assumption that Snofru built this pyramid before his 15th year, and then abandoned the site to start a new royal cemetery at Dashur, some 40 kilometres to the North. What is certain is that Snofru at one point during his reign -and some suggest a high date such as the 28th or 29th year of his reign- ordered the transformation of the original Step Pyramid into a true pyramid. It is unlikely that Snofru usurped this pyramid, since he already had built two other pyramids at Dashur. The reason why this king would have wanted 3 pyramids, making him the most productive pyramid builder in the history of Egypt, are not known. It is also not known whether the conversion of the original Step Pyramid into a true Pyramid was completed.
Today
there is little to suggest that this monument once indeed was a
pyramid. All that remains now is a three-stepped tower rising up from a
hill of debris. It has longtime been assumed that, while the pyramid was
being converted from a Step Pyramid into a true Pyramid, the weight of
the added outer casing was pressing down so hard that the entire
structure collapsed. However, recent archaeological research has found
no trace of tools or equipment that would have been left behind by the
workers, had they actually witnessed the pyramid's collapse. If this
pyramid collapsed, it must have been at a much later date than was
assumed. It is also very likely that this monument, like so many others,
fell victims to local peasants quarrying for stone.
It has often been assumed that the original builder of this Step Pyramid was Huni, the last king of the 3rd Dynasty. This is, however, merely based on the desire to credit at least one major building to this otherwise elusive king. Huni's name has not been found in or near the Meidum Pyramid, making it quite unlikely that this monument was built for him.
The fact that the pyramid was named 'Snofru Endures' has led others to suggest that it was Snofru who built this monument. The fact that none of the mastabas surrounding the pyramid are older than the early 4th Dynasty and that several sons of Snofru were buried there also confirms that the pyramid must be dated to the beginning of the 4th rather than the end of the 3rd Dynasty.
Recent archaeological research has led to the assumption that Snofru built this pyramid before his 15th year, and then abandoned the site to start a new royal cemetery at Dashur, some 40 kilometres to the North. What is certain is that Snofru at one point during his reign -and some suggest a high date such as the 28th or 29th year of his reign- ordered the transformation of the original Step Pyramid into a true pyramid. It is unlikely that Snofru usurped this pyramid, since he already had built two other pyramids at Dashur. The reason why this king would have wanted 3 pyramids, making him the most productive pyramid builder in the history of Egypt, are not known. It is also not known whether the conversion of the original Step Pyramid into a true Pyramid was completed.
View on the remains of the pyramid at Meidum.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 98
The entrance is located in the north face of the pyramid, above ground level. A descending passage goes down to below ground level and ends in a horizontal passage. Two small chambers or niches open to the left and right of this passage. At the end of this passage, a vertical shaft leads up to the burial chamber, which is located at ground level. This is the first pyramid to have a room inside its actual core. In order to deal with the pressure of the pyramid pushing down on the burial chamber, the builders used the technique of corbelling, with each course of the roof of the chamber projecting inwards as it got higher.
The burial chamber measures 5.9 by 2.65 metres, which is quite small, yet another sign that the builders were experimenting. There is no sarcophagus and no trace of a burial.
Outside the pyramid many elements that would become the standard for pyramid complexes to come were already present as well. A chapel, measuring 9.18 by 9 metres, was built against its eastern face.
To the south, there was a small satellite pyramid. It has an entrance in its north face with a descending passage leading down to the burial chamber. It was already heavily destroyed when it was found.Traces of an enclosure wall, measuring some 236 by 218 metres surrounding this complex have also been found, as well as a causeway, cut in the bedrock and encased in limestone.
It is clear that this complex marks the transition from the Early Dynastic funerary complexes to those of the Old Kingdom. The original shape of the pyramid still reflects the 3rd Dynasty tradition, but the building technique, the presence of a satellite pyramid, an eastern chapel and a causeway herald the tradition of the Old Kingdom.
Bent Pyramid at Dashur
The
Bent Pyramid owes its modern-day name to the fact that the upper half
of this pyramid was built at a lower angle than the bottom part, giving
it a very characteristic bend. The Ancient Egyptian name for this
pyramid was 'The Southern Shining One', a reference to the fact that it was built at the southern edge of Dashur.
It is also the first pyramid that was built by Snofru at Dashur, after he probably had built the Pyramid at Meidum.
The fact that he abandoned Meidum and its Step Pyramid to try out a new design at Dashur may probably reflect a change in ideology, whereby the tomb of the king was no longer considered as a staircase to the stars, but rather as a symbol of the solar cult and of the primeval mound from which all life had sprung.
There is evidence within the core of the Bent Pyramid that it was begun as a much smaller pyramid, with a slope of some 60°. Structural problems, caused mainly by the unstable sandy underground, forced the builders to encase this central pyramid in a girdle with a slope of 54°27'44". This was the slope for the lower part of the pyramid as it stands today.
The Bent Pyramid showing the characteristic change in angle to which it owes its modern-day name.
Unfortunately,
the building technique that was used -a technique going back to the
Step Pyramids which consisted of using inward leaning courses- did not
help to stabilise this monument. Fearing that the pyramid would collapse
under its own weight, its slope was lowered to 43°22' somewhere halfway
up the building. It is possible that the upper part of the Bent Pyramid
was continued only after finishing the Red Pyramid, which was built a
couple of kilometres to the North of the Bent Pyramid. In any case, the
Red Pyramid has exactly the same slope of 43°22' as the upper part of
the Bent Pyramid. In its finished state, this pyramid has a base length
of 188 metres and is 105 metres high.
It is also the first pyramid that was built by Snofru at Dashur, after he probably had built the Pyramid at Meidum.
The fact that he abandoned Meidum and its Step Pyramid to try out a new design at Dashur may probably reflect a change in ideology, whereby the tomb of the king was no longer considered as a staircase to the stars, but rather as a symbol of the solar cult and of the primeval mound from which all life had sprung.
There is evidence within the core of the Bent Pyramid that it was begun as a much smaller pyramid, with a slope of some 60°. Structural problems, caused mainly by the unstable sandy underground, forced the builders to encase this central pyramid in a girdle with a slope of 54°27'44". This was the slope for the lower part of the pyramid as it stands today.
The Bent Pyramid showing the characteristic change in angle to which it owes its modern-day name.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 102
The internal structure of the Bent Pyramid is as innovative as the pyramid itself. Unlike any other pyramid, there are two internal structures: with entrances in the North and West sides.
From the north, a passage descends down to an antechamber. In order to deal with the downward pressure of the pyramid on this chamber, its roof was made of different courses, with each course projecting more inwards than the course below. This technique, known as corbelling, was also used for the pyramid at Meidum. The burial chamber, also with a corbelled roof, is located above the antechamber.The second entrance, in the West face of the pyramid, lead down via a descending passage to a horizontal corridor which was intended to be blocked by some portcullis slabs. The second burial chamber, behind these portcullises, also has a corbelled roof. It is at a higher level than the first burial chamber. Scaffoldings of cedar beams were intended to give the room some additional support.
After they were completed, the two burial chambers were connected by a passage that was cut out through the existing masonry. It is not known why Snofru wanted to have two burial chambers in this pyramid, but perhaps this too can be explained by the clear experimental nature of this monument.
Probably at around the same time as when the slope of the main pyramid was decreased, work started to the South to build a smaller satellite pyramid. This pyramid, with a base length of 53 metres and a height of 32.5 metres, was probably an adaptation of the concept of the South Tomb found in the complex of Netjerikhet at Saqqara. Its internal structure is a precursor for the pyramid of Kheops at Giza. It has a descending and then an ascending passage, with a smaller version of Kheops' Grand Gallery. The actual burial chamber is far too small for a human burial and may probably have been intended to house the Ka statue of the king.Between the satellite and the main pyramid, there was a small offering place. Two funerary stelae, bearing the titulary of Snofru, were erected along the east face of the satellite pyramid.
A small offering chapel, also with two funerary stelae, was built against the east face of the main pyramid. Like the eastern chapel of the pyramid of Meidum, this chapel is too small to be an actual mortuary temple.
An enclosure wall surrounded both the main and satellite pyramids, with a causeway leading from its Northeast towards a small rectangular structure in the East, about halfway down to the valley. This structure shares features of both Valley Temples and Mortuary Temples in later pyramid complexes. It has the courtyard, pillars and statues that would become traditional in later mortuary temples, but it was built at some distance of the pyramid, which is typical for the Valley Temple.
Even though this pyramid was finally completed, including additional constructions such as the satellite pyramid and the Mortuary Temple, Snofru was buried in his third pyramid: the Red Pyramid, built a couple of kilometres North of the Bent Pyramid.
Red Pyramid at Dashur
The severe structural problems encountered while building the Bent Pyramid at Dashur South, led Snofru to build yet another pyramid, at a small distance to the North.
Stripped from its limestone casing, this new pyramid is has a redish colour, hence its modern-day name, the Red Pyramid, sometimes also referred to as the North Pyramid because of its northern location in Dashur.
Its Ancient Egyptian name was 'The Shining One'.
An inscription found at the base of this pyramid commemorates the laying of the western corner stone of the pyramid during the year of the 15th cattle count of Snofru's reign. Since the cattle counts were held at irregular intervals during this reign, this refers to somewhere between Snofru's 15th and 30th year. Interestingly, a second inscription was found 30 courses of stones higher. It is dated 2 to 4 years later than the inscription found at the base. This gives not only an idea about the speed at which the Egyptians were able to build a monument like this pyramid, it also clearly links the name of Snofru to the building of this monument.
The
work on this pyramid probably started when structural problems
encountered when building the Bent Pyramid forced the builders to
temporarily abandon this project.
The Red Pyramid was built with a slope of only 43°22'. Its base length is 220 metres, that is 32 metres more than the Bent Pyramid. Its height is the same as the Bent Pyramid in its final state: 105 metres.The broader base and lower slope were intended to better spread the mass of this pyramid and thus avoid the structural problems that had temporarily halted works on the Bent Pyramid.
The internal structure of this pyramid is a further continuation of the pyramid at Meidum and the Bent Pyramid. Contrary to the latter monument, however, there is only one internal structure, making it a lot more simple.
Stripped from its limestone casing, this new pyramid is has a redish colour, hence its modern-day name, the Red Pyramid, sometimes also referred to as the North Pyramid because of its northern location in Dashur.
Its Ancient Egyptian name was 'The Shining One'.
An inscription found at the base of this pyramid commemorates the laying of the western corner stone of the pyramid during the year of the 15th cattle count of Snofru's reign. Since the cattle counts were held at irregular intervals during this reign, this refers to somewhere between Snofru's 15th and 30th year. Interestingly, a second inscription was found 30 courses of stones higher. It is dated 2 to 4 years later than the inscription found at the base. This gives not only an idea about the speed at which the Egyptians were able to build a monument like this pyramid, it also clearly links the name of Snofru to the building of this monument.
Graffito of Snofru's 15th cattle count, commemorating the laying of the western corner stone of the Red Pyramid.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 105.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, p. 105.
The Red Pyramid was built with a slope of only 43°22'. Its base length is 220 metres, that is 32 metres more than the Bent Pyramid. Its height is the same as the Bent Pyramid in its final state: 105 metres.The broader base and lower slope were intended to better spread the mass of this pyramid and thus avoid the structural problems that had temporarily halted works on the Bent Pyramid.
The Red Pyramid owes its modern-day name to the red granite that was used to construct its core.
The internal structure of this pyramid is a further continuation of the pyramid at Meidum and the Bent Pyramid. Contrary to the latter monument, however, there is only one internal structure, making it a lot more simple.
Source: Lehner, Complete Pyramids, pp. 104-105
The burial chamber can only be reached via a short passage which opens high up in the wall of the second antechamber. The burial chamber measures 4.18 by 8.55 metres. Its corbelled roof goes up to a height of 14.67 metres. It is located well above ground level, in the core of the pyramid.
The chapel built against the Eastern face of the pyramid was finished hastily, probably after the death of Snofru. It is somewhat more elaborate than the eastern chapel of the Red Pyramid or the pyramid at Meidum in that it houses an inner sanctuary, flanked by two smaller chapels.There is no trace of a causeway leading down to the Valley Temple, of which few remains were found at the end of the 19th century.
There is little doubt that Snofru was finally buried in this pyramid, although the fragments of human remains found inside the burial chamber are not certain to have been his.Interestingly, during the reign of Pepi I of the 6th Dynasty, this pyramid along with its southern neighbour, the Bent Pyramid, was considered as one estate.
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