The exploration of a pyramid of particular historical importance in Lower Egypt’s site in Meidum has turned into an eerie experience for researchers, Amazon Prime’s “Secrets of Archaeology” reveals. According to the documentary, archaeologists were terrified by “lifelike” statues of Prince Rahotep and his wife, which looked more like monuments.
“When archaeologists found here and when archaeologists discovered the statues, they were terrified by their intense expression, which they believed was too lifelike to be that of a mere statue”, the series recalls about the objects, which are now on display at Cairo Museum.
The Pyramid of Meidum was built for Pharaoh Sneferu, who founded the Fourth Dynasty. Some theories suggest that the construction was originally meant for the last pharaoh of the Third Dynasty, Huni, while Sneferu only continued this work. The pyramid is thought to be the second one built after Djoser's, which makes it one of the oldest such monuments.
It also differs from other pyramids as, unlike them, it did not have the same step structure. Architects are thought to have believed that they found “the secret of the perfect form”, as their creation is sloping and smooth. But the innovation did not prove to be viable.
“It was a revolutionary concept, but something went wrong. 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”, the documentary explained.