Astronomy, Architecture, and Symbolism: The Global Project of Sneferu at Dahshur

Belmonte, J. A.; Magli, G.
Bibliographical reference

Journal for the History of Astronomy 2015, Vol. 46(2) 173– 205

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6
2015
Number of authors
2
IAC number of authors
1
Refereed citations
0
Description
The two pyramids built during the Old Kingdom by the Fourth Dynasty King Sneferu at Dahshur are usually considered as two consecutive projects, the second – that of the Red Pyramid – being generated by a presumably failure of the first, the Bent Pyramid. In the present paper, we show that the archaeological proofs of such a scenario are far from obvious and that, on the contrary, a series of architectural, topographical, epigraphic, and astronomical hints point to a unitary project probably conceived from the very beginning in terms of the two pyramids and their annexes. Altogether the two pyramids are thus shown to form a conceptual, sacred landscape associated with the power of the Pharaoh and his afterlife.
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