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==Monuments possibly connected to Huni== ===Meidum pyramid=== [[File:02 meidum pyramid.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The Meidum pyramid, initially believed to have been started by Huni, is now thought to be exclusively the work of Sneferu.]] In the early 20th century, the [[Meidum|Meidum pyramid]] was often credited to Huni. One long-held theory posited that Huni had started a stepped pyramid, similar to that of king [[Djoser]], [[Sekhemkhet]] and [[Khaba]], but architecturally more advanced and with more and smaller steps. When king Sneferu ascended the throne, he would have simply covered the pyramid with polished limestone slabs, making it a "true pyramid". The odd appearance of the pyramid was explained in early publications by a possible building catastrophe, during which the pyramid's covering collapsed and many workmen would have been crushed. The theory seemed to be fostered by the unknown duration of Sneferu's reign. At the time, Egyptologists and historians couldn't believe Sneferu had ruled long enough to have three pyramids built for him.<ref name=MiVe>Miroslav Verner: ''Die Pyramiden.'' Rowohlt Verlag, Wiesbaden 1999, {{ISBN|3499608901}}, p. 185-195.</ref><ref name=RaSt>Rainer Stadelmann: ''Snofru und die Pyramiden von Meidum und Dahschur.'' in: ''Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts Kairo (MDAIK)'', vol 36. Zabern, Mainz 1980, p. 437–449.</ref> Closer examinations of the pyramid surroundings however revealed several tomb inscriptions and pilgrim graffiti praising the "beauty of the white pyramid of king Sneferu". They further call for prayers to Sneferu and "his great wife Meresankh I". Additionally, the surrounding mastaba tombs date to the reign of King Sneferu. Huni's name has yet to be found anywhere near the pyramid. These indices led Egyptologists to the conclusion that the pyramid of Meidum was never Huni's, but rather an achievement of Sneferu, planned and constructed as a [[cenotaph]]. Ramesside graffiti reveals that the white limestone covering still existed during the 19th dynasty and started to collapse slowly after that period. The rest of the limestone covering and the first inner layers were robbed during the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] period and the [[Roman Egypt|Roman]] period. This practice continued in Christian and Islamic times, in particular during the construction works of the Arabs in the 12th century AD. Arab writers describe the Meidum pyramid as a "mountain with five steps". Finally, several regional earthquakes damaged the monument.<ref name=MiVe/><ref name=RaSt/> A third argument against the theory that Sneferu completed Huni's project is newer evaluations of Snefru's time on the throne. According to the Turin Canon, Sneferu ruled for 24 years. However, during the Old Kingdom the years of rule were counted biennially, when [[Cattle count (Egypt)|cattle counts]] and tax collections were performed, which would mean that Sneferu may have ruled for 48 years. The compiler of the Turin Canon may not have been aware of this long-gone circumstance when redacting his document and would consequently have attributed 24 years to Sneferu. Today it is estimated that 48 years of rule would have allowed Sneferu to build three pyramids during his lifetime.<ref>Thomas Schneider: ''Lexikon der Pharaonen''. Albatros, Düsseldorf 2002, {{ISBN|3-491-96053-3}}, p. 278.</ref><ref>Rainer Stadelmann: ''Die großen Pyramiden von Giza.'' Akad. Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz 1990, {{ISBN|320101480X}}, p. 260.</ref> Additionally, Egyptologists such as Rainer Stadelmann point out that it was uncommon for rulers during the Old Kingdom to usurp or finish the tomb of a predecessor; all that a succeeding king did was to bury and seal the tomb of his predecessor.<ref name=MiVe/><ref name=RaSt/> ===Layer Pyramid=== [[File:Khaba pyramid at Zawyet el'Aryan.jpg|thumb|220px|right|The Layer Pyramid, attributed to Khaba, who may be the same person as Huni.]] As mentioned before, Rainer Stadelmann thinks it could be possible Huni built the so-called ''[[Layer Pyramid]]'' at [[Zawyet el'Aryan]]. According to Stadelmann and Jean-Phillipe Lauer, this monument was nearly finished when it was left incomplete. It is unknown, though, if the subterranean complex actually was ever used for the burial of the king. The necropolis of the Layer Pyramid has still not fully been investigated. A nearby mastaba ('''''Mastaba Z500'''''), which was integrated into the pyramid complex, contained several stone bowls with the Horus name of king Khaba. Thus, the Layer Pyramid is commonly known as the pyramid of Khaba. Rainer Stadelmann proposes an identification of Khaba with Huni. He argues that the finishing of the pyramid lasted a long period of time and since the Turin Canon credits a 24-year reign to Huni, this time span surely covered the building time needed for the pyramid. Thus, both names ("Huni" and "Khaba") might point to one and the same ruler.<ref name=RSH/><ref>Miroslav Verner: ''Die Pyramiden.'' Rowohlt, Wiesbaden 1999, {{ISBN|3-499-60890-1}}, p. 174.</ref> ===Lepsius pyramid – I=== A mysterious mud brick pyramid, originally planned to be the size of that of [[Pyramid of Khafre|Khafrâ]], was uncovered in [[Abu Rawash]] and documented by [[Karl Richard Lepsius]], who listed it in [[Lepsius list of pyramids|his list of pyramids]] as ''[[Lepsius I Pyramid|Pyramid I]]''. The pyramid was already a heap of rubble at the time his excavations in the 1840s: only a {{convert|17|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} stump of brick layers was left. Lepsius nonetheless discovered a narrow corridor leading down to a nearly square chamber. In it, he found a roughly hewn stone sarcophagus. Lepsius dated the pyramid to the late 3rd dynasty and proposed a connection to King Huni.<ref name=TAH/><ref>Karl Richard Lepsius: ''Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien''. p. 21ff.</ref> Today, this theory is no longer accepted. In 1989, Egyptologist [[Nabil Swelim]] examined the pyramid more precisely and found that it was made of small mud bricks, with a quarter of its inner core hewn out of a natural bedrock. The rock core itself contained several [[rock-cut tombs]] dating back to the 5th and 6th dynasty. Swelim and other Egyptologists, such as [[Toby Wilkinson]], point out that it would be surprising for a royal pyramid to have been completely destroyed less than 300 years after its construction, only to be re-used for simple rock-cut tombs. Additionally, he points to the unusual geographic position of the pyramid: Old Kingdom pyramids were commonly built on high grounds, while the pyramid Lepsius I lies on a flat plain. Thus the dating of this monument to the late 3rd dynasty is no longer considered tenable.<ref name=TAH>Toby A. H. Wilkinson: ''Early Dynastic Egypt.'' Routledge, London/New York 1999, {{ISBN|0-415-18633-1}}, p. 103–105.</ref><ref>Miroslav Verner: ''Die Pyramiden.'' Rowohlt, Wiesbaden 1999, {{ISBN|3-499-60890-1}}, p. 177.</ref><ref>Nabil M. Swelim: ''The brick pyramid at Abu Rawash Number "I" by Lepsius.'' Publications of the Archeological Society of Alexandria, Kairo 1987, p. 113.</ref> ===Cultic step pyramids=== Several small step pyramids along the Nile river are also credited to Huni. These small pyramids had a cultic function and marked important royal estates. They contained no internal chambers and were not used for burial purposes. One of them, the [[Pyramid of Elephantine]], is located at the eastern end of [[Elephantine]] island and a granite cone with Huni's name was discovered nearby in 1909. Therefore, this little pyramid is the only one that may be credited to Huni with some certainty.<ref>Günter Dreyer, Werner Kaiser: ''Zu den kleinen Stufenpyramiden Ober- und Mittelägyptens.'' In: ''Mitteilungen des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, Abteilung Kairo (MDAIK)'', vol. 36, 1980, p. 57.</ref> Some scholars such as [[Andrzej Ćwiek]] contest this attribution however, pointing out that it might be at least possible that the granite cone of Huni was re-used in later times, when ramesside priests restored cultic places of the Old Kingdom period.<ref>Andrzej Ćwiek: "Date and Function of the so-called Minor Step Pyramids". In: ''Göttinger Miszellen'', 162. Edition 1998. p. 42-44.</ref> The only cultic step pyramid that can be definitively connected to an Old Kingdom ruler is a small step pyramid known as the [[Pyramid of Seila|Seila Pyramid]], located at the [[Faiyum Oasis]]. Two large stela with the name of Sneferu were found in front of the pyramid, thus indicating the king responsible for its construction.<ref>Rainer Stadelmann: ''Snofru – Builder and Unique Creator of the Pyramids of Seila and Meidum''. In: Ola El-Aguizy, Mohamed Sherif Ali: ''Echoes of Eternity. Studies presented to Gaballa Aly Gaballa''. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2010, {{ISBN|978-3-447-06215-2}}, p. 32.</ref> Since Sneferu was Huni's likely immediate successor, this might indicate however that cultic pyramids were indeed constructed at the transition between the 3rd and 4th dynasties. Here are the names of the other cultic step pyramids: *[[Pyramid of Naqada]] *[[Pyramid of el-Kula]] *[[Edfu South Pyramid]] *[[Pyramid of Sinki]] * [[Pyramid of Zawyet el-Maiyitin]]
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