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The hidden pyramid for Pharaoh Userkare may be in Saqqara, home to Djoser’s famous step pyramid. Source: Juan Aunión /Adobe Stock

An Astonishing Revelation in Saqqara – A Hidden Pyramid!

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An archaeologist with 30 years of experience working in Egypt has made an astonishing announcement. He believes that he has found evidence that there are traces of a hidden pyramid buried beneath the Saqqara desert. If he is proven right, it could mean that there are many more pyramids yet to be found in Egypt.

Dr. Vasko Dobrev, ‘has spent the last three decades probing the area just 19 miles from the world-famous Pyramids of Giza,’ according to the Daily Express. He has made a number of astonishing discoveries during this time. The expert recently made an appearance in a documentary made for Channel 5, a British TV channel. The program featured the well-known TV personality Tony Robinson and is entitled “Opening Egypt’s Great Tomb”.

Development of the Pyramid

Robinson and Dobrev traveled to Saqqara, a royal burial site which is located near the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. This area was crucial in the development of the step-pyramids during the Old Kingdom period. The first of this type of construction was built here for Pharaoh Djoser of the 3rd Dynasty by the architect Imhotep, but these monuments were not perfected until the reign of Snefru (reigned 2613 to 2589 BC). This Pharaoh, who established the 4th dynasty, constructed three pyramids, of which the best known is the Red Pyramid.

Hunting for a Buried Pyramid

Dobrev claims to have found the remains of a pyramid. He believes that a ‘new Pyramid may lie buried beneath the sand in the area of Saqqara South,’ reports Curiosmos.com. It is located north-west of the burial place of Pharaoh Pepi I, in Tabbet al-Guesh. Dobrev told Robinson that Saqqara still has more wonders to reveal.

Kneeling statue of Pharaoh Pepi I. (Brooklyn Museum)

Kneeling statue of Pharaoh Pepi I. (Brooklyn Museum)

The Egyptologist told the amazed British documentary-maker, that “Saqqara boasts the first pyramid and a great many more,” according to the Daily Express. Dobrov believes that all the members of a dynasty were buried here because of its close proximity to Memphis. Not all of the royal burials have been accounted for and he believes this means more pyramids are yet to be found.

The Egyptologist took Robinson to a flat plateau where he believes there are traces of a pyramid. It has remained undiscovered for millennia, he believes. Dobrov is confident that the base of a pyramid built for Pharaoh Userkare (23rd century BC) lies under the sand.

Buried in the Desert Sands

The Egyptologist argues that this pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty did not live long enough for his pyramid to be built. Curiosmos.com quotes Dobrov saying that the monarch, “may have only had time to create the pyramid base.”  The expert believes that the location was likely the site of the Userkare pyramid because it is near his father’s and other family members’ burial places.

The Egyptologist revealed that there is an unidentified structure underneath the sand in the area that is likely to be man-made because it has right angles. This was revealed by a scan of the location, conducted using the latest geophysical technology. The structure is estimated to measure 240 ft by 240 ft (80m by 80m), based on the scan. Curiosmos.com reports this is ‘precisely the dimension of a pyramid spanning back to the period when Userkare reigned’.

Scan of the desert where a possible pyramid exists buried beneath the sand. Image Credit: Channel 5 (UK).

Scan of the desert where a possible pyramid exists buried beneath the sand. Image Credit: Channel 5 (UK).

Traces of Userkare’s Pyramid?

It appears that the expert found a square structure that could very well be the base of a pyramid. Dobrov provided the British documentary maker with an image of a scan. This showed something unusual beneath the desert sands, however, it is debatable if it is conclusive proof.

There are no indications yet of any future plans to excavate the area where a lost pyramid may be buried. It seems likely that Dobrov will continue to work in the area as he has done for some three decades. If he is proven correct, there could be many more than the 120 currently known pyramids in Egypt.

Top image: The hidden pyramid for Pharaoh Userkare may be in Saqqara, home to Djoser’s famous step pyramid. Source: Juan Aunión /Adobe Stock

By Ed Whelan

 

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How many Pharaohs have found inside pyramids?

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Ed

My name is Edward Whelan and I graduated with a PhD in history in 2008. Between 2010-2012 I worked in the Limerick City Archives. I have written a book and several peer reviewed journal articles. At present I am a... Read More

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