5,000-year-old early dynastic tombs at Jabal al-Tayr show tapering walls linked to pyramid origins. Two early dynastic tombs discovered at Jabal al-Tayr in the Minya region of Egypt Tombs are approximately 5,000 years old and date to the First Dynasty Tombs show strong architectural similarities to the tomb of King Den at the royal necropolis of Abydos (Elkab)
Two ~5,000-year-old First Dynasty tombs at Jabal al-Tayr in Minya show architectural links to King Den's tomb at Abydos. One features tapering walls — thicker at the base, narrowing upward. Muhammad Abdal Badi suggests this may reflect early geometric thinking that eventually led to the step pyramid and true pyramid!
Key Facts
- Two early dynastic tombs discovered at Jabal al-Tayr in the Minya region of Egypt
- Tombs are approximately 5,000 years old and date to the First Dynasty
- Tombs show strong architectural similarities to the tomb of King Den at the royal necropolis of Abydos (Elkab)
- King Den ruled Egypt in the First Dynasty
- One wall of the first tomb has changing thickness, thicker at the bottom and gradually reducing toward the top
- Muhammad Abdal Badi, head of the Egyptian archaeological sector, stated the wall design may reflect early geometric thought leading to the step pyramid and true pyramid
- Earliest mastabas with vertical walls are found at the Tarkan necropolis in the First Dynasty
- Mastabas later evolved to have sloping walls for stability, eventually developing into the step pyramid
Source: Pyramid Building Missing Link? 5,000-Year-Old Major Discovery in Egypt! by Ancient Architects