Page 51 - اثار مصر الفرعونية2

pyramid they made their most dramatic discovery so far. They
have found not one, but six small pyramids buried beneath the
sands the southern side of Pepy's monument – three had been the
highest number found in earlier complexes. Using modern
electromagnetic sounding equipment, archaeolo-gists first located
three queen's pyramids in 1988, each with its own associated
structures. When these were cleared, they were ascribed to
'Queen of the West", Queen of the East' and 'Queen of the
Centre'. The eastern pyramid with its small mortuary temple
belonged to a consort named as Nebwenet, and fragments of a
pink granite sarcophagus and some items of funerary equipment
were found in the burial chamber. The central pyramid complex,
slightly larger than that of Nebwenet, probably belonged to
another consort of Pepy, who is named as Inenek-inty. Her
mortuary temple is unusually placed around three sides of the
pyramid. The owner of the western pyramid is only given the
title of 'Eldest Daughter of the King', so we do not know whether
she was actually a royal consort, though it is presumed that she
was. Fragments of an uninscriled sarcophagus and some funerary
equipment were also found in her burial chamber.

A fourth pyramid ascribed to a 'Daughter of the King and
Wife of the King, Meritites' was found to the south of the central
queen's pyramid. Little else is at present known of this structure.
Two more small pyramids have recently been discovered in the

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