Lepsius list of pyramids

For a modern list of Egyptian pyramids see List of Egyptian pyramids

File:Lepsius-Expedition-Cheops-Pyramide.jpg

Members of the Prussian expedition to Egypt celebrate Frederick William IV's birthday on the summit of the Great Pyramid of Giza

The Lepsius list of pyramids is a list of sixty-seven Ancient Egyptian pyramids established in 1842–1843 by Karl Richard Lepsius (1810–1884), an Egyptologist and leader of the "Prussian expedition to Egypt" from 1842 until 1846.

The Lepsius list of pyramid is the first attempt at systematically listing all the Egyptian pyramids, and as such, is a pioneering effort of early modern Egyptology. The list was published together with the results of the expedition in Lepsius work Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien (1849–1859).

List

History

Karl Richard Lepsius

Following the success of the Franco-Tuscan Expedition to Egypt under the leadership of Jean-François Champollion, the Prussian scientists Alexander von Humboldt and Robert Wilhelm Bunsen and the minister of instruction Johann Eichhorn recommended to king Frederick William IV that an expedition be sent to Egypt. Karl Richard Lepsius, who had learned of Champollion's method to decipher the hieroglyphs and had met Ippolito Rosellini of the Franco-Tuscan Expedition, was chosen to lead it. The main aim of the expedition was to explore and record the remains of the ancient Egyptian civilization as well as to gather materials for the Egyptian Museum of Berlin.

The Prussian expedition assembled in Alexandria in 1842 and quickly departed for Giza, which was reached in November that same year. Proceeding north to south, Lepsius' men then explored the pyramids field of Abusir, Saqqara, Dahshur and, in 1843, Hawara. Lepsius and its team stayed for 6 months in total at these locations as the Prussian expedition was the first study and record Old Kingdom material in depth. In total, Lepsius and his men uncovered a total of 67 pyramids and 130 tombs. The pyramids, dating from the Third Dynasty (c. 2686–2613 BCE) until the Thirteenth Dynasty (c. 1800–1650 BCE), were given roman numerals from north to south, starting from Abu Rawash in the north. Although a few of the structures reported by Lepsius are now known to have been mastabas and other monumental structures (highlighted on the list below in light gray), the Lepsius list of pyramids is still considered a pioneering achievement of modern Egyptology. Lepsius' numerals have remained the standard designation for some of the pyramids.

The results of the Prussian expedition to Egypt, comprising the list of pyramids, where published in the Denkmäler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien.

Pyramids

Lepsius Number	Location	Modern identification	Image
I	Abu Rawash	Pyramid Lepsius I	80x80px
II	Abu Rawash	Pyramid of Djedefre
III	Abu Rawash	Pyramid complex of Djedefre, subsidiary pyramid
IV	Giza	Great Pyramid of Giza
V	Giza	North subsidiary pyramid of Khufu's, G-Ia	80x80px
VI	Giza	Middle subsidiary pyramid of Khufu's, G-Ib	80x80px
VII	Giza	South subsidiary pyramid of Khufu's, G-Ic	80x80px
VIII	Giza	Pyramid of Khafre	80x80px
IX	Giza	Pyramid of Menkaure	80x80px
X	Giza	West subsidiary pyramid of Menkaure's, G-IIIc	80x80px
XI	Giza	Middle subsidiary pyramid of Menkaure's, G-IIIb	80x80px
XII	Giza	East subsidiary pyramid of Menkaure's, G-IIIa	80x80px
XIII	Zawyet el'Aryan	Unfinished Northern Pyramid of Zawyet el'Aryan	80x80px
XIV	Zawyet el'Aryan	Layer Pyramid
XV	Abu Gorab	Sun temple of Nyuserre Ini	80x80px
XVI	Abusir	Unidentified brick pyramid
XVII	Abusir	Sun temple of Userkaf
XVIII	Abusir	Pyramid of Sahure	80x80px
XIX	Abusir	Mastaba of vizier Ptahshepses	80x80px
XX	Abusir	Pyramid of Nyuserre
XXI	Abusir	Pyramid of Neferirkare
XXII	Abusir	Small satellite pyramid
XXIII	Abusir	Small satellite pyramid
XXIV	Abusir	Pyramid Lepsius XXIV, queen of Nyuserre Ini	80x80px
XXV	Abusir	Double Pyramid, queen of Nyuserre Ini	80x80px
XXVI	Abusir	Pyramid of Neferefre
XXVII	Abusir	Completely destroyed, only an outline is visible
XXVIII	Abusir	Unfinished pyramid or a natural structure
XXIX	Saqqara	Headless Pyramid of Menkauhor Kaiu
XXX	Saqqara	Pyramid of Teti	80x80px
XXXI	Saqqara	Pyramid of Userkaf	80x80px
XXXII	Saqqara	Pyramid of Djoser	80x80px
XXXIII	Saqqara	North pavillon of Djoser's pyramid complex
XXXIV	Saqqara	South pavillon of Djoser's pyramid complex	80x80px
XXXV	Saqqara	Pyramid of Unas	80x80px
XXXVI	Saqqara	Pyramid of Pepi I
XXXVII	Saqqara	Pyramid of Djedkare-Isesi
XXXVIII	Saqqara	Subsidiary pyramid to Djedkare's, unknown queen
XXXIX	Saqqara	Pyramid of Merenre
XL	Saqqara	Pyramid of Ibi
XLI	Saqqara	Pyramid of Pepi II
XLII	Saqqara	Subsidiary pyramid of Pepi II's for his queen Wedjebten
XLIII	Saqqara	Mastabat al-Fir’aun of Shepseskaf
XLIV	Saqqara	Pyramid of Khendjer
XLV	Saqqara	13th Dynasty structure
XLVI	Saqqara	Southern South Saqqara pyramid	80x80px
XLVII	Dahshur	Pyramid of Senusret III
XLVIII	Dahshur	Mastaba, unknown owner
XLIX	Dahshur	Red Pyramid
L	Dahshur	Lepsius-L Pyramid
LI	Dahshur	Pyramid of Amenemhat II
LII	Dahshur	Pylon of the temple of the pyramid of Amenemhat II
LIII	Dahshur	Pylon of the temple of the pyramid of Amenemhat II
LIV	Dahshur	Central Dahshur pyramid
LV	Dahshur	Mastaba of vizier Siese
LVI	Dahshur	Bent Pyramid	80x80px
LVII	Dahshur	Subsidiary pyramid of the bent pyramid	80x80px
LVIII	Dahshur	Pyramid of Amenemhat III
LVIX	Dahshur	Northern Mazghuna pyramid
LX	El-Lisht	Pyramid of Amenemhat I
LXI	El-Lisht	Pyramid of Senusret I
LXII	El-Lisht	Mastaba, unknown owner
LXIII	El-Lisht	Mastaba of Senusretankh
LXIV	El-Lisht	Mastaba, possibly belonging to a private individual named Senusret
LXV	Meidum	Pyramid of Meidum	80x80px
LXVI	El-Lahun	Pyramid of Senusret II
LXVII	Hawara	Pyramid of Hawara, of Amenemhat III. Situated north of "The Labyrinth"	80x80px

Lepsius' maps

Lepsius drew maps of the locations his expedition visited and which regroup the pyramid listed above. They are presented below, from north to south.

• Carte-lepsius-abou-rawash.jpg

  Abu Rawash

• Carte-lepsius-gizeh.jpg

  Giza

• Carte-lepsius-Abousir-Zaouiet-el-Aryan.jpg

  Zawyet el'Aryan

• Carte-lepsius-saqqarah.jpg

  Saqqara

• Carte-lepsius-saqqarah-sud.jpg

  South Saqqara

• Carte-lepsius-dahchour.jpg

  Dashur

• Carte-lepsius-licht.jpg

  El-Lisht

• Carte-lepsius-Meïdoum-Illahoun.jpg

  Meidum and El-Lahun

• Carte-lepsius-hawara.jpg

  Hawara