Archaeologists Were ‘Terrified’ by Discovery in Meidum Pyramid, New Documentary Film Reveals

Archaeologists involved in studying the Meidum pyramid revealed in a documentary titled “Secrets of Archaeology” that they were terrified upon discovering statues of Pharaoh Rahotep and his wife. Researchers said they were afraid because the statues had intense facial expressions, which according to scientists, were "lifelike".

​The history of the Meidum pyramid is no less bizarre. It is thought to have been built for Pharaoh Sneferu, the founder of the Fourth Dynasty, which was established in 2613 BC, and is Egypt’s first straight-sided pyramid. It was originally designed as a step pyramid, like the one built for Pharaoh Djoser. Djoser’s pyramid was the earliest colossal stone building in Egypt.

Later architects abandoned this approach and chose a revolutionary concept that made the lines of the structure “smooth and sloping”. However, apparently they made a mistake in calculations, and the structure collapsed. “The bases of the four external supporting walls fell in, and the blocks of limestone slipped downwards revealing the internal part that we see today”, revealed the documentary “Secrets of Archaeology”.

Pharaoh Sneferu had another pyramid built, which also had an unusual design, as its top section was built at a shallower angle than earned the structure its name – the Bent Pyramid.

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