Step Pyramid southern shaft parallels Great Pyramid. Southern shaft at Step Pyramid is 8,900 feet deep and 45 feet wide Contains a 32-piece granite box chamber similar to King's Chamber Area compared to particle accelerator development - small version first, then larger

The Step Pyramid's Central Shaft is 92 feet deep (28 m) and 23 feet wide (7 m). At the bottom lies a burial chamber. The pyramid consists of six mastabas built atop each other, rising from a base of 358 feet by 410 feet. Built by Vizier Imhotep for Pharaoh Djoser about 4,700 years ago, it's Egypt's first monumental stone structure. A network of tunnels runs below the site, extending nearly 6 km (3.7 miles).

Key Facts

  • Southern shaft at Step Pyramid is 8,900 feet deep and 45 feet wide
  • Contains a 32-piece granite box chamber similar to King's Chamber
  • Area compared to particle accelerator development - small version first, then larger
  • Another similar shaft exists near Khui's pyramid with same depth and size
  • Underground tunnels at Saqqara span miles beneath the site
  • Question of whether Step Pyramid copied earlier structure or vice versa

Related site: Serapeum of Saqqara — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.