The pyramid of Setibhor is a satellite pyramid complex located at the northeast corner of the wall of the complex of Djedkare’s pyramid. Except for a valley temple and causeway, the satellite pyramid has the standard elements typically found only in the king’s pyramid.
Location of Pyramid of Setibhor
The pyramid of Setibhor is next to King Djedkare’s pyramid at Saqqara necropolis.
Excavation of the Pyramid of Setibhor
The Egyptian archaeological expedition under the direction of Dr Mohamed Megahed at south Saqqara succeeded in finding the name of Queen Setibhor. She was not known from ancient sources, engraved on a column in the south part of an anonymous pyramid complex. The complex is located by the pyramid of King Djedkare in south Saqqara, and the identity of its owner was a puzzle that Egyptologists have been trying to solve for decades.
The name and titles of the owner of this unique monument were found on the column made of red granite in the newly uncovered portico of the queen’s complex. The inscription was carved in sunken relief in a rectangle on the shaft of the column, and it reads: ‘The one who sees Horus and Seth, the great one of the hetes sceptre, the great of praise, king’s wife, his beloved Setibhor’.
The column, together with limestone blocks and fragments bearing relief decorations from the temple of the queen, was found during exploration and documentation work in the pyramid complex of King Djedkare.
The mission also completed the architectural restoration and consolidation of the substructure of the king’s pyramid, which had not been subjected to any restoration work before. This situation greatly affected the state of the monument. Therefore, the consolidation, restoration and reconstruction of the inner walls of the pyramid represented a vital task for the mission.
The mission carries on the archaeological work in the pyramid complexes of King Djedkare and his wife Setibhor and its associated cemeteries, hoping to obtain more information on the end of the 5th Dynasty and the beginning of the 6th Dynasty. This is a period that witnessed a radical transformation in ancient Egyptian ideology and religious beliefs, such as the appearance of the Pyramid Texts for the first time inside the pyramid of King Unas, the successor of Djedkare, and also the end of the construction of sun temples that were built by all the 5th Dynasty predecessors of Djedkare.
Pyramid Complex
The pyramid complex of Queen Setibhor represents one of the earliest pyramids built in south Saqqara at the end of the 5th Dynasty. It is the largest pyramid complex built for a queen during the Old Kingdom. Moreover, her funerary temple incorporated architectural elements and chambers that were otherwise reserved only for the kings of the Old Kingdom.
The large size of the pyramid complex of Queen Setibhor and her title of queen’s wife indicates perhaps her direct intervention in helping her husband, King Djedkare, ascend the throne of Egypt at the end of the 5th Dynasty. It seems that Djedkare wanted to honour his wife by constructing her a massive pyramid complex with many unusual features, including palm-form granite columns, which constitute an architectural element thus far known only in the pyramid complexes of kings and not used in the temples of the queens during the Old Kingdom period.
Layout
The complex is enclosed within its perimeter wall. It consists of a pyramid of Setibhor, a collonaded court, a statue chapel, a mortuary temple with its offering hall, storage rooms, an antechamber carrée with a single column, and a small cult pyramid. The antechamber carrée of this complex is notable due to its unparalleled size of 7 m (23 ft; 13 cu) by 6 m (20 ft; 11 cu). Its column and base appear to be limestone instead of the typical granite. Relief fragments found on limestone blocks may also originate in the chamber.
Due to its being intentionally incorporated into the pyramid complex of Djedkare Isesi, the pyramid is believed to have belonged to a consort of Djedkare Isesi. The owner’s identity remained a mystery until 2019, when the name and titles of Queen Setibhor were found inscribed on a column in the complex. Setibhor’s pyramid complex is thus the largest one built for a queen in the Old Kingdom and incorporates elements previously only used in the complexes of the king.
