Pyramid of Nitocris — 6th Dynasty Uncertain Queen
Pyramid attributed to Nitocris · Neitiqerty Pyramid?
Old Kingdom, late 6th–early 8th Dynasty·Ancient Egyptian·🇪🇬 Memphis Necropolis, Saqqara South, Egypt
About
About Pyramid of Nitocris — 6th Dynasty Uncertain Queen
Ancient historiographic pyramid attributed to Nitocris, female ruler placed by Manetho at end of 6th Dynasty, sometimes identified with Pepi II daughter Neithikret. Herodotus attributes a great building south of the third pyramid; Lepsius notes small ruined mound (Lepsius XXXIV) south of South Saqqara sometimes linked to a late queen. No pyramid inscriptions of Nitocris have been found; modern scholarship (Ryholt, Baud) debates whether she was real ruler Neitiqerty Siptah whose tomb may be the unfinished Headless Pyramid outgrowth or a small queen’s pyramid reused. Included as hypothetical to illustrate spectrum of Old Kingdom pyramid attribution.
Why it mattersCase study in historiographic versus archaeological pyramid attribution; female kingship at Old Kingdom collapse.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether Nitocris existed historically as Neitiqerty
Theories
- 01If real, buried in late 6th Dynasty south Saqqara area now within sand-covered Lepsius XXXIV
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. 2210 BCE (hypothetical)
- Period
- Old Kingdom, late 6th–early 8th Dynasty
- Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
- Purpose
- Purported pyramid of Queen Nitocris (Neitiqerty Siptah), figure known from Manetho and Turin Canon as sole female king at end of Old Kingdom; archaeological identification unconfirmed
- Excavation
- Excavated
450 BCE
Herodotus mentions female ruler Nitocris story
1842
Lepsius maps unrecorded mounds south of Saqqara
On the ground
Structures & features
29.8305° N · 31.2224° E · 55 m · 2 mapped features
Lepsius XXXIV mound candidate location
moundSand-covered mound south of South Saqqara suggested by some as Nitocris
29.8305° N · 31.2224° ETurin Canon entry fragment for Neitiqerty
findspotPapyrus reference point linking queen to pyramid tradition (Turin Museum)
29.8304° N · 31.2223° E