The identification history of Seila is a great cautionary tale. Flinders Petrie saw it in the late 1800s while it was sand-covered and damaged, and took it for a mastaba. Borchardt later recognized a step pyramid, Bouchard documented it in the 1930s, and Jean-Philippe Lauer surveyed it in the early 1960s. Leonard Lesko led the first systematic excavation from 1981, with work by C. Wilfrid Griggs and N. Bill Swelim in 1987-88. Two round-topped stelae on the east side name Sneferu's Horus name Nebma'at, anchoring Seila to his 4th Dynasty programme. 📜
1980s excavations tie Seila to Sneferu through two round-topped stelae
EgyptArchitecture
Site mentioned
Key facts
- W. M. Flinders Petrie examined the site in the late 19th century while it was sand-covered and damaged, and mistook it for a mastaba.
- Ludwig Borchardt later identified the structure as a step pyramid.
- Andre Bouchard documented the site in the 1930s, and Jean-Philippe Lauer surveyed it in the early 1960s and attempted a reconstruction.
- Leonard Lesko directed the first sustained systematic excavation, beginning in 1981, which showed the structure was larger than previously thought.
- C. Wilfrid Griggs and N. Bill Swelim carried out work in 1987 and 1988.
- Excavators found two round-topped stelae on the eastern side, one bearing Sneferu's Horus name Nebma'at together with his royal titulary as king of Upper and Lower Egypt.
- The stelae inscription is the key evidence linking the monument to Sneferu, placing it in the same 4th Dynasty architectural programme as Meidum, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.
Sources
Flinders Petrie - by Louis De Cordier - Labyrinth of Egyptlabyrinthofegypt.substack.com
Flinders Petrie · The Hawara archaeological site, home to the enigmatic Labyrinth of Egypt, has captivated explorers and scholars for centuries.
Sir Flinders Petrie - Egypt in South Africaegyptinsouthafrica.iziko.org.za
Flinders Petrie published The pyramids and temples of Giza in 1882 which still provides much of the basic data regarding the pyramid plateau used today.
Sir William Flinders Petrie: Archaeologist Extraordinairenewcreation.blog
He began his work on the pyramids, surveying and measuring them both inside and out. Tourists were an annoyance, and he found that he could only ...
Flinders Petrieen.wikipedia.org
Flinders Petrie, was an English Egyptologist and a pioneer of systematic methodology in archaeology and the preservation of artefacts.
The archaeological record: Flinders Petrie in Egyptucl.ac.uk
Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) first went to Egypt in 1880 at the age of 26, to survey the Great Pyramid. pyramid field (no sponsors) (no excavation)
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