Pyramids at Giza. Photograph by Ricardo Liberato/Wikimedia
A 4,600 year old step pyramid has been unearthed at the ancient settlement of Edfu in southern Egypt.
The step pyramid, which was constructed before the world famous Great Pyramid of Giza, contains no internal chambers and may have stood as 13m high monument to the royal cult of the king.
It is believed to be one of seven “provincial pyramids” built in the decades leading up to the construction of the Great Pyramid between 2635-2590 BC, with each one a very similar size.
The pyramid was abandoned with half a century of completion, possibly when construction began on the Great Pyramid during the reign of Khufu (2590-2563 BC), as he focused all resources on the new construction project.
