Red Pyramid also had inclined casing stones

December 20, 2024

EgyptArchitecture

Pyramid complex3000 - 1500 BC

Source: Revenge of the Bent Pyramid by History for GRANITE

James Dawkins in 1750 observed the Red Pyramid's western face had casing stones 'leaning inwards'—similar to the Bent Pyramid's lower section. He noted 'the stones are laid in a different manner...a much stronger way of building.' Only the Red Pyramid has dating graffiti: counts 15 and 16 of Snefru's reign. The sample is too small to determine if pyramids were built consecutively or simultaneously.

Key facts

James Dawkins in 1750 observed the Red Pyramid's western face casing stones 'leaning inwards' similar to the Bent Pyramid's lower section
Dawkins wrote: 'the stones are laid in a different manner here they are laid as on a wall length ways one upon another a much stronger way of building'
The only hard dating evidence is graffiti on a few casing stones indicating years of Snefru's reign—Bent Pyramid has zero dates, Red Pyramid has counts 15 and 16
The sample size is too small to draw conclusions about construction sequence
The Bent Pyramid's steeper angle required larger casing stones (twice as large as Red Pyramid's bottom stones)
It is more likely that two or all three Snefru pyramids were built simultaneously rather than consecutively
The Red Pyramid's casing goes about half as deep with a separate Tura backing stone, while Bent Pyramid uses single blocks