Detalles de publicación
PP 015031
ASTRONOMY, ARCHITECTURE AND SYMBOLISM: THE GLOBAL PROJECT OF SNEFERU AT DAHSHUR
(1) Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias & Universidad de Laguna
82) Politecnico di Milano
The two pyramids built during the Old Kingdom by the 4th 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. The two pyramids all-together are thus
shown to form a conceptual, sacred landscape associated with the power of the Pharaoh and his afterlife.
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. The two pyramids all-together are thus
shown to form a conceptual, sacred landscape associated with the power of the Pharaoh and his afterlife.