The third Pyramid, built by Menkara, who reigned 63 years, is much
smaller than the other two, and has also two sepulchral chambers, both
in the solid rock. The lower chamber, which held a sarcophagus of
rectangular shape of whinstone, had a pointed roof, cut like an arch
inside; but the cedar coffin, in shape of a mummy, had been removed
to the upper or large apartment, and its contents there rifled.
Amongst the debris of the coffin and in the chambers were found the
legs and part of the trunk of a body with linen wrapper, supposed by
some to belong to the monarch, but by others to an Arab, on account
of the anchylosed right knee. This body and fragments of the coffin
were brought to the British Museum; but the stone sarcophagus was
unfortunately lost off Carthagena, by the sinking of the vessel in
which it was being transported to England.
There are six other Pyramids of inferior size and interest at Gizeh;
one at Abou Rouash, which is ruined, but of large dimensions; another
at Zowyet El Arrian, still more ruined; another at Reegah, a spot in
the vicinity of Abooseer, also much dilapidated, and built for the
monarch User-en-Ra, by some supposed to be Busiris. There are five
of these monuments at Abooseer, one with a name supposed to be that
of a monarch of the Third Dynasty; and another with that of the king
Sahura. A group of eleven Pyramids remains at Sakkara, and five other
Pyramids are at Dashour, the northernmost of which, built of brick, is
supposed to be that of the king Asychis of Herodotus, and has a name of
a king apparently about the Twelfth Dynasty. Others are at Meydoon and
Illahoon, Biahmo and Medinat El Fyoum, apparently the sepulchres of the
last kings of the Twelfth Dynasty.
In Nubia, the ancient Æthiopia, are several Pyramids, the tombs of the
monarchs of Meroë and of some of the Ethiopian conquerors of Egypt.
They are taller in proportion to their base than the Egyptian Pyramids,
and generally have a sepulchral hall, or propylon, with sculptures,
which faces the east. The principal groups of these Pyramids are at
Bege Rauie, or Begromi, 17° N. lat., in one of which, gold rings and
other objects of late art, resembling that of the Ptolemaic period,
were found.
The numerous Pyramids of Mexico are of vast size and importance, but
their purpose is not yet fully ascertained. Completely covered as they
are with dense vegetation, filled with venomous reptiles, they are
difficult to investigate, but they were evidently much the same in
shape and structure as the Egyptian, and their entrances were richly
sculptured.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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