Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

662 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
pyramid of Medum, like the pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara,
a step pyramid, which originally consisted of seven towers,
of which only three remain, one rising above the other.
In the year 1882. these towers were examined by Maspero,
who gained an entrance, and through a long passage reached
the sepulchral chamber of the pyramid. This he found had
been plundered, and its coffin was missing. Twelve years
The Step Pyramid of Medum
later, Petrie continued the excavations here, being successful
in discovering a small temple, which was erected on the east
side of the pyramid and intended for the worship of the
king who was buried there. It is a plain sanctuary built
of limestone, consisting of only two chambers and ending at
the foot of the pyramid in a court, in which stood an altar
for offerings between two limestone tablets, rounded at the
top. Neither inscriptions nor reliefs are found on the walls.
Everything is plain and in the simplest form, and we should