Meidum, Maydum or Maidum (Arabic: ميدوم, Ancient Egyptian: Mr(y)-Jtmw, lit. 'beloved of Atum', Ancient Greek: Μοι(ε)θυμις)[1] is an archaeological site in Lower Egypt. It contains a large pyramid and several mudbrickmastabas. The pyramid was Egypt's first straight-sided one, but it partially collapsed in ancient times.[2] The area is located around 72 kilometres (45 mi) south of modern Cairo.
The pyramid at Meidum is thought to be just the second pyramid built after Djoser's[3] and may have been originally built for Huni, the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty, and continued by Sneferu. Because of its unusual appearance, the pyramid is called el-heram el-kaddaab – (False Pyramid) in Egyptian Arabic.
The second extension turned the original step pyramid design into a true pyramid by filling in the steps with limestone encasing. While this approach is consistent with the design of the other true pyramids, Meidum was affected by construction errors. Firstly, the outer layer was founded on sand and not on rock, like the inner layers. Secondly, the inner step pyramids had been designed as the final stage. Thus, the outer surface was polished and the platforms of the steps were not horizontal, but fell off to the outside. This severely compromised the stability and is likely to have caused the collapse of the Meidum Pyramid in a downpour while the building was still under construction.[4]
Comparison of approximate profiles of the Meidum with some notable pyramidal or near-pyramidal buildings. Dotted lines indicate original heights, where data is available. In its SVG file, hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article.
Franck Monnier[5] and others believe the pyramid did not collapse until the New Kingdom, but there are a number of facts contradicting this theory. The Meidum Pyramid seems never to have been completed. Beginning with Sneferu and to the 12th Dynasty, all pyramids had a valley temple, which is missing at Meidum. The mortuary temple, which was found under the rubble at the base of the pyramid, apparently never was finished. Walls were only partly polished. Two stelas inside, usually bearing the names of the pharaoh, are missing inscriptions. The burial chamber inside the pyramid itself is uncompleted, with raw walls and wooden supports still in place which are usually removed after construction. Affiliated mastabas were never used or completed and none of the usual burials have been found. Finally, the first examinations of the Meidum Pyramid found everything below the surface of the rubble mound fully intact. Stones from the outer cover were stolen only after they were exposed by the excavations. This makes a catastrophic collapse more probable than a gradual one. The collapse of this pyramid during the reign of Sneferu is the likely reason for the change from 54 to 43 degrees of his second pyramid at Dahshur, the Bent Pyramid.[4]
By the time it was investigated by Napoleon's Expedition in 1799, the Meidum Pyramid had its present three steps. It is commonly assumed the pyramid still had five steps in the fifteenth century and was gradually falling further into ruin, because al-Maqrizi described it as looking like a five-stepped mountain, but Mendelssohn claimed this might be the result of a loose translation and al-Makrizi's words would more accurately translate into "five-storied mountain",[4] a description which could even match the present state of the pyramid with four bands of different masonry at the base and a step on top.
Lantern Slide Collection: Views, Objects: Egypt. Meidum. Old Kingdom. Step Pyramid of Meidum, 4th Dyn., n.d. Brooklyn Museum Archives
Passageway in the Meidum Pyramid
Lantern Slide Collection: Views, Objects: Egyptian – Old Kingdom. Step Pyramid of Meidum, 4th Dyn., n.d. Brooklyn Museum Archives
Excavations
Map of ancient Lower Egypt showing the location of Meidum
The Meidum Pyramid was excavated by John Shae Perring in 1837, Lepsius in 1843 and then by Flinders Petrie later in the nineteenth century, who located the mortuary temple, facing to the east. In 1920 Ludwig Borchardt studied the area further, followed by Alan Rowe in 1928 and then Ali el-Kholi in the 1970s.
In its ruined state, the structure is 213 feet (65 meters) high, and its entrance is aligned north-south, with the entrance in the north, 66 feet (20 meters) above present ground level. The steep descending passage 57 feet (17 meters) long leads to a horizontal passage, just below the original ground level, that then leads to a vertical shaft 10 feet (3.0 meters) high that leads to the corbelled burial chamber itself. The chamber is unlikely to have been used for any burial.
Flinders Petrie was the first Egyptologist to establish the facts of its original design dimensions and proportions.[6][7] In its final form it was 1100 cubits of 0.523 m around by 175 cubits high, thus showing the same proportions as the Great Pyramid at Giza, and therefore the same circular symbolism. Petrie wrote in the 1892 excavation report [8] that "We see then that there is an exactly analogous theory for the dimensions of Medum [sic] to that of the Great Pyramid; in each the approximate ratio of 7:44 is adopted, as referred to the radius and circle ..." These proportions equated to the four outer faces sloping in by precisely 51.842° or 51°50'35", which would have been understood and expressed by the Ancient Egyptians as a seked slope of 51⁄2 palms.[9]
Fragment of a limestone stela. Inscribed for the accountant of cattle Pahemy and his wife Iniuset. 18th Dynasty. From tomb 34 at Meidum, Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London
Mortuary Temple of Meidum Pyramid
Piece of waste limestone. Accounts, in black ink, by workmen of the number of stone blocks delivered for the Meidum Pyramid. 4th Dynasty. From Pyramid waste, mastaba 17 at Meidum, Egypt. The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London
View of the Meidum Pyramid from the Mastaba of Nefermaat
^Verner. The Pyramids. Their Archaeology and History. 2003 pp. 462
Bibliography
Lightbody, David I (2008). Egyptian Tomb Architecture: The Archaeological Facts of Pharaonic Circular Symbolism. British Archaeological Reports International Series S1852. ISBN978-1-4073-0339-0.
Petrie, Flinders (1892). Medum. David Nutt: London.
Edwards, I.E.S. (1979). The Pyramids of Egypt. Penguin.
Monnier, Franck (2017). L'ère des géants. Éditions de Boccard.
Verner, Miroslav (2001). The Pyramids. Their Archaeology and History. Atlantic Books.
Mendelssohn, Kurt (1976). The Riddle of the Pyramids. Sphere Books Ltd: London. ISBN0-351-17349-8.
Meidum: Site of the Broken Pyramid & Remnants of the First True Pyramid- Virtual-Egypt
John Legon article on the Architectural Proportions of the Pyramid of Meidum
Further reading
Arnold, Dieter (1991). Building in Egypt: Pharaonic Stone Masonry. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-19-506350-9
Jackson, K. & Stamp, J. (2002). Pyramid: Beyond Imagination. Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. London: BBC Worldwide. ISBN978-0-563-48803-3
meidum, maydum, maidum, arabic, ميدوم, ancient, egyptian, jtmw, beloved, atum, ancient, greek, Μοι, θυμις, archaeological, site, lower, egypt, contains, large, pyramid, several, mudbrick, mastabas, pyramid, egypt, first, straight, sided, partially, collapsed, . Meidum Maydum or Maidum Arabic ميدوم Ancient Egyptian Mr y Jtmw lit beloved of Atum Ancient Greek Moi e 8ymis 1 is an archaeological site in Lower Egypt It contains a large pyramid and several mudbrick mastabas The pyramid was Egypt s first straight sided one but it partially collapsed in ancient times 2 The area is located around 72 kilometres 45 mi south of modern Cairo Meidum PyramidView of the Meidum PyramidCoordinates29 23 17 N 31 09 25 E 29 38806 N 31 15694 E 29 38806 31 15694 Coordinates 29 23 17 N 31 09 25 E 29 38806 N 31 15694 E 29 38806 31 15694TypeStep pyramidHeight65 metres 213 ft ruined would have been 91 65 metres 301 ft or 175 cubitsBase144 metres 472 ft or 275 cubitsSlope51 50 35 Location within Egypt Contents 1 Pyramid 2 Excavations 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 Further reading 7 External linksPyramid Edit The structure of the pyramid The pyramid at Meidum is thought to be just the second pyramid built after Djoser s 3 and may have been originally built for Huni the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty and continued by Sneferu Because of its unusual appearance the pyramid is called el heram el kaddaab False Pyramid in Egyptian Arabic The second extension turned the original step pyramid design into a true pyramid by filling in the steps with limestone encasing While this approach is consistent with the design of the other true pyramids Meidum was affected by construction errors Firstly the outer layer was founded on sand and not on rock like the inner layers Secondly the inner step pyramids had been designed as the final stage Thus the outer surface was polished and the platforms of the steps were not horizontal but fell off to the outside This severely compromised the stability and is likely to have caused the collapse of the Meidum Pyramid in a downpour while the building was still under construction 4 Comparison of approximate profiles of the Meidum with some notable pyramidal or near pyramidal buildings Dotted lines indicate original heights where data is available In its SVG file hover over a pyramid to highlight and click for its article Franck Monnier 5 and others believe the pyramid did not collapse until the New Kingdom but there are a number of facts contradicting this theory The Meidum Pyramid seems never to have been completed Beginning with Sneferu and to the 12th Dynasty all pyramids had a valley temple which is missing at Meidum The mortuary temple which was found under the rubble at the base of the pyramid apparently never was finished Walls were only partly polished Two stelas inside usually bearing the names of the pharaoh are missing inscriptions The burial chamber inside the pyramid itself is uncompleted with raw walls and wooden supports still in place which are usually removed after construction Affiliated mastabas were never used or completed and none of the usual burials have been found Finally the first examinations of the Meidum Pyramid found everything below the surface of the rubble mound fully intact Stones from the outer cover were stolen only after they were exposed by the excavations This makes a catastrophic collapse more probable than a gradual one The collapse of this pyramid during the reign of Sneferu is the likely reason for the change from 54 to 43 degrees of his second pyramid at Dahshur the Bent Pyramid 4 By the time it was investigated by Napoleon s Expedition in 1799 the Meidum Pyramid had its present three steps It is commonly assumed the pyramid still had five steps in the fifteenth century and was gradually falling further into ruin because al Maqrizi described it as looking like a five stepped mountain but Mendelssohn claimed this might be the result of a loose translation and al Makrizi s words would more accurately translate into five storied mountain 4 a description which could even match the present state of the pyramid with four bands of different masonry at the base and a step on top Lantern Slide Collection Views Objects Egypt Meidum Old Kingdom Step Pyramid of Meidum 4th Dyn n d Brooklyn Museum Archives Passageway in the Meidum Pyramid Lantern Slide Collection Views Objects Egyptian Old Kingdom Step Pyramid of Meidum 4th Dyn n d Brooklyn Museum ArchivesExcavations Edit Map of ancient Lower Egypt showing the location of Meidum The Meidum Pyramid was excavated by John Shae Perring in 1837 Lepsius in 1843 and then by Flinders Petrie later in the nineteenth century who located the mortuary temple facing to the east In 1920 Ludwig Borchardt studied the area further followed by Alan Rowe in 1928 and then Ali el Kholi in the 1970s In its ruined state the structure is 213 feet 65 meters high and its entrance is aligned north south with the entrance in the north 66 feet 20 meters above present ground level The steep descending passage 57 feet 17 meters long leads to a horizontal passage just below the original ground level that then leads to a vertical shaft 10 feet 3 0 meters high that leads to the corbelled burial chamber itself The chamber is unlikely to have been used for any burial Flinders Petrie was the first Egyptologist to establish the facts of its original design dimensions and proportions 6 7 In its final form it was 1100 cubits of 0 523 m around by 175 cubits high thus showing the same proportions as the Great Pyramid at Giza and therefore the same circular symbolism Petrie wrote in the 1892 excavation report 8 that We see then that there is an exactly analogous theory for the dimensions of Medum sic to that of the Great Pyramid in each the approximate ratio of 7 44 is adopted as referred to the radius and circle These proportions equated to the four outer faces sloping in by precisely 51 842 or 51 50 35 which would have been understood and expressed by the Ancient Egyptians as a seked slope of 51 2 palms 9 Fragment of a limestone stela Inscribed for the accountant of cattle Pahemy and his wife Iniuset 18th Dynasty From tomb 34 at Meidum Egypt The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology London Mortuary Temple of Meidum Pyramid Piece of waste limestone Accounts in black ink by workmen of the number of stone blocks delivered for the Meidum Pyramid 4th Dynasty From Pyramid waste mastaba 17 at Meidum Egypt The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology London View of the Meidum Pyramid from the Mastaba of NefermaatSee also EditList of ancient Egyptian sites including sites of temples List of Egyptian pyramidsReferences Edit Peust Carsten Die Toponyme vorarabischen Ursprungs im modernen Agypten PDF p 64 BBC History Ancient History in depth Development of Pyramids Gallery www bbc co uk Retrieved 2019 05 29 Atalay Bulent Math and the Mona Lisa Smithsonian Books HarperCollins 2006 p 64 a b c Mendelssohn Kurt 1974 The Riddle of the Pyramids London Thames amp Hudson Monnier Franck L ere des geants Editions de Boccard Paris 2017 pp 73 74 Lightbody 2008 22 Edwards 1979 269 Petrie 1892 6 Verner The Pyramids Their Archaeology and History 2003 pp 462Bibliography EditLightbody David I 2008 Egyptian Tomb Architecture The Archaeological Facts of Pharaonic Circular Symbolism British Archaeological Reports International Series S1852 ISBN 978 1 4073 0339 0 Petrie Flinders 1892 Medum David Nutt London Edwards I E S 1979 The Pyramids of Egypt Penguin Monnier Franck 2017 L ere des geants Editions de Boccard Verner Miroslav 2001 The Pyramids Their Archaeology and History Atlantic Books Mendelssohn Kurt 1976 The Riddle of the Pyramids Sphere Books Ltd London ISBN 0 351 17349 8 Meidum Site of the Broken Pyramid amp Remnants of the First True Pyramid Virtual Egypt John Legon article on the Architectural Proportions of the Pyramid of MeidumFurther reading EditArnold Dieter 1991 Building in Egypt Pharaonic Stone Masonry Oxford Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 506350 9 Jackson K amp Stamp J 2002 Pyramid Beyond Imagination Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza London BBC Worldwide ISBN 978 0 563 48803 3External links Edit Media related to Meidum at Wikimedia Commons RecordsPreceded byPyramid of Djoser World s tallest structurec 2610 BC 2600 BC93 5 m Succeeded byBent Pyramid Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Meidum amp oldid 1120556006, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
