Episode 7 Snefaru the Pyramid Builder

The History of Ancient Egypt

Professor Robert Brier

Film Review

Snefaru, who ruled Egypt between 2613-2589 BC, built the first pyramids, some of which collapsed while being built.

According to Brier, the pyramids represented the end point of a spectrum of grave building, starting with sandpits, then rock cut tombs, then rock cut tombs covered by mastabas, then above ground mastabas on top of mustabas (which were gradually ocverted to pyramids)

The step pyramid built under the pharaoy Snefaru (in Djosier) was the first stone building in the world.

His attempt to build the first true pyramid (in Mydoom). His initial approach (below) was to to convert a step pyramid to a full pyramid by filling in the steps. This would cause slippage and collapse of the stone blocks at the bottom.

Although a causeway connected both of Snefarus first two pyramids to a valley temple (where the pharaoh’s body would be mummified) and a mortuary temple (where priests would offer up sacrifices on behalf of the dead pharaoh, neither was used.

This first pyramid builder would be buried in the first successful pyramid he built in Dahshur (below). Snerafu never inscribed the temple. We only know he built it because of grafiti added 1000 years later.

Under Snefaru, Egypt would become an international power. There’s evidence he  obtained cedar beams from Lebanon for boats, temple doors and flagpoles. The expedition to Lebanon must have involved a boat trip on the Mediterranean, which early Egyptians avoided because they were very poor sailors.*

Snefaru also sent troops on turquoise mining expeditions to the barbarian-invested Sinai. Mining turquoise, which required crawling on your belly through tiny tunnels, was extremely difficult. There are hieroglyph inscriptions in the Sinai referring to the extreme heat (“the mountain burned our skin”) and a temple Snefaru had a temple dedicated to Hathur Snefaru had built one one of the mountains. Hathur was the cow-headed goddess who was the patron of turquoise miners.

Snefaru also set standards for Egyptian art (which included turquoise inlaid jewelry and life size statues of his children and favorite minister that would endure for three millenia.

*Sailing the Nile was extremely easy given the prevailing wind blew north to south. For the return trip, sailors simply took down their sails and allowed the current to propel them home.

https://www.kanopy.com/en/pukeariki/watch/video/1492791/1492808