The Black Pyramid is one of Egypt's most mysterious monuments, and a reminder not all pharaohs were as great as they thought. King Amenemhat was the sixth pharaoh of the 12th Dynasty. He wanted to stamp his authority on his people by building a towering pyramid next to the great Bent and Red Pyramids of King Sneferu, commissioned some 800 years previously. This new building would be some achievement, with a height of 75m and a 105m base.
Building began around 1860. Middle Kingdom pyramids were much more complex arrangements than their Old Kingdom counterparts, but Amenemhat's was far too ambitious. A myriad walkways, corridors and chamber lined its innards, and it was the first pyramid built both for a king and his queens - two in Amenemhat's case. Around 15 years into its construction, disaster struck. Beams began to crush and doorways crumbled, as the pyramid caved in under its own weight. Builders did their best to avert destruction, but the damage was done: the pyramid was abandoned, and the king instead turned his sights on Hawara, where he would build a successful temple many years later.
Today the pyramid is still abandoned, closed to the public because of its still-structural frailties. A French team first excavated the pyramid in 1892, with later projects undertaken up until 1983.
Heritage Key enters the Petrie Museum in London to talk to the curator Dr Stephen Quirke, who explains the importance of one of the co-founders of the Egypt Exploration Society - Amelia Edwards. She was dedicated to protecting the Ancient Egyptian heritage from growing tourism by bringing artefacts to Britain, and creating a museum where students could learn from the discoveries. Named after its first professor, William Flinders Petrie, the museum was set up near the only university at the time which awarded degrees to women - the University College London.
Submitted by Sean Williams on Wed, 11/11/2009 - 12:30
There have been many great women in the times and study of Ancient Egypt - Hatshepsut and Nefertiti are two great examples. Yet in the era of discovery; the time in which great explorers pioneered the excavation of Egypt's greatest treasures, one woman sticks out louder than Liberace in a dole queue. Cue Amelia Edwards, a Victorian writer and adventurer who bucked the conservative traditions of her time to help found one of London's greatest museums.
Amenemhat III (also spelt Amenemhet III) was the sixth pharaoh of Egypt's 12th Dynasty, taking over from his father Senwosret III. Regarded as the Middle Kingdom's greatest king, he enjoyed a relatively long reign, ruling from 1860-1814, or 1842-1797 BC. This was enough time to create two of Egypt's best-known, if not durable, pyramids. Experts believe he may also have co-ruled with his father for up to 20 years.
Amenemhat was a peaceful ruler thanks to the military conquests of his predecessors, and would become known rather for his huge building works - not all of which ended successfully. Desperate to stamp his authority on an already-illustrious dynasty, Amenemhat began building a large pyramid at Dashur almost immediately. This 'Black Pyramid' took up to 15 years to complete, yet began to crumble on its completion.
This large statue of the Egyptian Middle Kingdom pharaoh Amenemhat III is one of the finest items on display at the newly reopened Neues Museum in Berlin, Germany. It originates from the ruins of the ancient Egyptian capital city of Memphis, and occupies a dramatic berth at the end of a long hall lined with pillars.
It stands as tall as a man, and depicts Amenemhat III praying. One arm has been broken off, but otherwise the statue is in remarkably good condition for its venerable age.
In this sandstone tablet, discovered in the pyramid of Amenemhat III in Hawara, a blind musician is shown playing a harp before Amenemhat III, as well as the mayor of Thebes and other officials. Amenemhat is sitting in front of a table of offerings, beside the musician of Amun, Nutnedjmet.
