The pyramid at Seila is something of an enigma, having been reduced to little more than a glorified 7m-high mound over its 4,500-year history. It was built by prolific 4th Dynasty pharaoh Snefru, father of Khufu and famous for having commissioned pyramids at Dashur and Meidum. Located six miles west, in the Fayum town of the same name, the Seila Pyramid has long been one of Egypt's forgotten landmarks. Yet now archaeologists are beginning to think it may have been more impressive than they thought.
Snefru was the first pharaoh to construct true pyramids (unlike the step pyramids of, say, Djoser). Seila appears to have been designed in this vein, with experts from Brigham Young presenting laser models of how it would have looked back around 2,600 BC, as shown to the left. The team also noted the pyramid may well have had an internal burial chamber, but that it may have been looted and destroyed in antiquity.
I’m going to be filing more detailed blogs at the end, once I have the time to do a proper write-up of all the research.
For now here are some news-briefs that I want to fill you in on.
-The Seila Pyramid is flat! No – it is not a step pyramid. It is a true pyramid. Professor Kerry Muhlestein of Brigham Young University, presented the latest research.
A team of engineers, using GPS equipment, completed a 3D model of the pyramid recently. Combined with (unpublished) excavation results it is now clear that it is not a step-pyramid.
A three day Egyptian symposium starts, in Toronto, in a matter of hours. The Scholars' Symposium (or Scholars' Colloquium) is curated by The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities (SSEA), and brings together a stella lineup of speakers. Today’s session will be at the Royal Ontario Museum, and tommorow’s will focus on Egypt and the Bible and will be held on the University of Toronto campus.
The temperature is hovering at around 0 degrees celcius - not exactly what you would find at Giza!
Toronto is a good place to be for Egyptian lovers this month.
While the weather in Toronto isn’t exactly like Cairo (snowfall is common during November), there is going to be lots of important Egyptian activities happening.
Snefru was the first pharaoh to construct true pyramids (unlike the step pyramids of, say, Djoser). Seila appears to have been designed in this vein, with experts from Brigham Young presenting laser models of how it would have looked back around 2,600 BC, as shown to the left. The team also noted the pyramid may well have had an internal burial chamber, but that it may have been looted and destroyed in antiquity.
The Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities, and the 
