Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex
Meroitic (300 BCE-350 CE)·Meroitic·🇸🇩 River Nile, Meroe, Sudan
About
About Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex
Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex in River Nile, Meroe, Sudan is a Meroitic (300 BCE-350 CE) pyramid attributed to Meroitic. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal necropolis 11 × 4 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 16.9449N 33.7608E controls access to River Nile, Meroe resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey pyramid for River Nile, Meroe, illustrating Meroitic construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Scale of population vs agricultural catchment
- 02Ritual vs domestic use
Theories
- 01Ancestral burial reuse over centuries
- 02Astronomical alignment hypothesis
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 100 BCE
- Period
- Meroitic (300 BCE-350 CE)
- Culture
- Meroitic
- Purpose
- Platform mound with ceremonial structure and burial
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 100 BCE
Initial construction of Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex main structure
c. 1474 BCE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex
19th–20th century
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
16.9449° N · 33.7608° E · 357 m · 4 mapped features
Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex — Main Pyramid Feature
structurePrimary structure at Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex — rock-cut facade with stratified deposits
16.9444° N · 33.7606° EMeroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex — Secondary Enclosure
enclosureAncillary enclosure at Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex — rock-cut facade with stratified deposits
16.9467° N · 33.7608° EMeroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex — Outlier Rock Art Panel
rock artOutlier rock_art panel linked to Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex ceremonial landscape
16.9461° N · 33.7599° EMeroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex — Hydraulic/Cistern Annex
hydraulicHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir at Meroe North Pyramid Field N12 Annex with plastered basin
16.9459° N · 33.7602° E