Part 3: The Bent Pyramid

Compared to his father’s complex at Saqqara, Sneferu’s Bent Pyramid was more economical in scale, but it preserved the Hed Sed facilities.

The enclosure was smaller and the wall less elaborate. The southern tomb was replaced by a satellite pyramid. This was a true pyramid shape.

Two Pyramids in one

The Bent Pyramid was a double shape – like two pyramids in one. Instead of 5 circumpolar star orbits represented by the steps of the stepped pyramid of Djoser, the Bent Pyramid represented only two.

The decision to use only two stars, not five, probably was because of the precession of the stars. Thuban was seen to move away from the celestial pole. Previously the pole was within the box of 5 circumpolar stars. But as years passed the ‘box of stars’ moved across the sky until the pole fell in line with just two stars. The pole was on the line joining Kocab to Mizar.



Importantly, the heights of the two sections of the Pyramid were 90 and 110 cubits or a ratio of 9 to 11 for the lower and upper parts respectively. Similarly, in the northern sky at this epoch, the ratio of the orbits of Kocab to Mizar were exactly 9 to 11 also. The upper part was the 11 when Mizar (Ursa Major) was uppermost.

Following the similar idea proposed for the Step Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid had as its ‘double’ in the northern sky the squared orbit of Mizar with the orbit of Kocab inside. The chambers of the Pyramid were thus ‘at the pole of the sky’.



The so called ‘chimney’ directly under the apex of the pyramid was carved from the bedrock and it is believed to be intended as the entry into a burial chamber at ground level. It seems there was a change of plan. The position of the burial chamber was moved with a new entry tunnel built from the west. The best guess is that there was a great concern about security of the chamber. The new burial chamber was separate, had a ‘secret’ west entry, and an all new blocking mechanism.

The new Role of the Bent Pyramid

The building problems with the Bent Pyramid are well known. The King would not be buried there. The Red Pyramid was built instead. But the Bent pyramid was not abandoned. It was completed with smooth casing, walled enclosure, satellite pyramid, causeway, and valley temple.

It seems fairly clear that the Bent Pyramid complex was used for lifetime Heb Seds.

The lifetime Sed Festival could make use of the Pyramid’s burial chamber, the subsidiary burial chamber, the enclosure for the King’s Run, and the upper chamber for the crowning.

The Kings Run

As regards the King’s run, first recall this from Djoser’s complex : there were two sets of two boundary stones in the South Court for the lifetime Heb Sed. Alongside and /i]due east of the burial chambers[/i] were two sets of three false doors for the afterlife run. The false doors were carved with reliefs of parts of the Run.



At Dahshur we find two stone stelae at two cubits from the centre of the east side of the Bent Pyramid. There were two similar stone stelae placed midway on the east side of the Satellite Pyramid.

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Between each pair of stelae was a stone ‘hotep’ offering altar. At the Pyramid stelae a small mud brick chapel was a small chapel was built for the end of the Run.

The Run went from the main pyramid to the satellite pyramid and back to the small chapel.
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On the faces of the stela were carved scenes from the Heb Sed of Sneferu. He was shown on his throne with the double crowns of north and south Egypt, and wearing the bull’s tail.



I have no doubts that these two sets of stone stele represented the Run’s marker stones for the lifetime Sed Festival.

The Meidum pyramid and its satellite pyramid had a similar arrangement of a chapel on the east and two sets of two stelae. However the stelae were blank - it was presumably not used for a Sed Festival.

Other Possibles

One feature not present in the enclosure was the double dais for crowning. But there was a large upper chamber in the pyramid. Something not seen before. It is possible that the ceremony took place in this room inside the pyramid. There would have to have been statues for the gods and a crowning platform inside. Nothing remains in them today.

There also appears to be no calendar for Heb Sed timing like at Saqqara. Thinking purely speculatively, there could have been markings on the pavement around the pyramid. Petrie stated that the pavement extended about 30 inches from the base. That’s 1.5 cubits. So the pavement was 362c+ 1.5c + 1.5c which is 365. If the pavement was marked out in cubits around the four sides, with one square cubit added, we have again the four year cycle of 1461 days !

Conclusion

The Bent Pyramid complex incorporated several re-interpretations of the Heb Sed requirements seen at Saqqara, although the main components seem to be there.

The upper chamber created inside the pyramid was a new idea, and may well have been for the Heb Sed crowning ceremony.

The apparent parallel concept between the Kings’Runs at Saqqara with the ones at Dahshur and Meidum is very encouraging, and provide some confidence for me that this article is on the right track !

In addition we now have an explanation for the little chapels at the east of the Pyramids.

And there is confirmation of the purpose of satellite pyramids. They were used, like the South Tomb of Djoser, for the rejuvenation of the king in the Heb Sed.