Page 39 - اثار مصر الفرعونية2

Little is really known about the intended structure,
although archaeologists suggest (from the size of the square base)
that it probably would have been higher than Djoser's monument
and it may have had 7 steps planned instead of 6.

The next stage in Goneim's investigations revealed an open
rock-cut trench on the northern side of the enclosure, which was
blocked by masonry. The entrance led to a passage, ending in a
burial chamber right under the centre of the pyramid and 30m
below ground. The name of Skhemkhet was found on seal
impressions on vessels in the corridor which gave the
identification of the pyramid's owner. Much progress seems to
have been made on the monument's substructure. A U-shaped
corridor opens from the descending passage to other unfinished
galleries around the burial chamber and the corridor was
interrupted by a vertical shaft again similar to the shaft in
Djoser's structure.

Goneim found a great number and variety of objects during
clearance of the debris including animal bones, demotic papyri
(from later periods) and a large hoard of Dynasty III stone similar
to Djoser's heirlooms. The excavator's greatest surprise was to
see his first gleam vessels of gold- the contents of a decayed
wooden casket which had contained a presumably funerary
deposit of 21 gold bracelets, a hinged cosmetic box in the form of
a shell tweezers and a needle, and many gold , carnelian and

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