NEWLY-FOUND PYRAMID

Evening Star, Issue 21073, 9 April 1932, Page 2

NEWLY-FOUND PYRAMID

AH IMPORTANT DISCOVERY Professor Selim Hassan, of the Egyp* tian University, has discovered a new, pyramid about 300yds south of the Great Pyramid and slightly west of the Sphinx. On this spot a mass ot masonry had emerged from a mound of sand. It was uncertain what it was,, and some supposed it to be a Mastaba.; Professor Selim began clearing the site three weeks ago 1 wrote tho Cairo ‘cor* respondent of 4 The Times ’ in March) and soon found clear traces of pyramidal masonry. Egyptologists had always presumed the existence of a fourth large pyra* mid from indications of other monu* ments, and it has now apparently beeii identified. The new pyramid appears slightly • smaller than the third, but it is different in construction from the other Giza pyramids. The blocks of stone employed are larger than those in the Great Pyramid. Fragments of two 12ft granite stele have been found forming an entrance to the pyramid and bearing the previously unknown, name of Khenet Kaues. A description follows; —“ King of Upper and Lower; Egypt, mother of the King of, Upper; and Lower Egypt, daughter of the God.” The pyramid is thus tho tomb of a royal personage, who was both the daughter of a king and mother of a king. Professor Selim believes she was possibly the daughter of Shepseskaf, the last king of tho Fourth Dynasty, and supplies the link between! tho Fourth and Fifth Dynasties. At all events, ; the discovery is 9f first* class historical and archaeological im* portance. The entrance to the pyramid, al* ready penetrated to some shows two chapels containing false doors, evidently not the doors of the tomb chamber. The excavators are at present working in a long gallery sloping downwards which possibly leads to the tomb chamber. This gallery haa an enormous granite slab nearly ,20ft long. Tho outside of the pyramid is much dilapidated, but part of the cas* ing is still intact. Close to the pyramid Professor Sehmi has discovered a series of rock tombs of important personages and officials,' One of these, a large rock chamber similar to the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, _ contains the tomb of a queen, possibly the wife of the builder of tho Second Pyramid.' Some distance from the pyramid there are traces of a brick building, indicat* ing the existence of a temple connected -with the pyramid.- All these discoveries promise _ a wealth of new, archaeological material of the greatest interest and importance. One face of the pyramid is cut out of tho solid rock, and shows false doors cut in the surface, a novel feature in pyramid architecture.