Sekhemkhet´s Pyramid Complex. King Sekhemkhet was buried beneath his step pyramid at Saqqara, diagonally across from his predecessor´s pyramid, the necropolis of King Djoser. This tomb is known today as Sekhemkhet´s pyramid, Djeserteti´s pyramid and as Buried pyramid. Sekhemkhet´s tomb was excavated in 1952 by Egyptian archaeologist Zakaria Goneim.
The pyramid
Sekhemkhet´s pyramid was planned as a step pyramid from beginning on. It started with a quadratic footprint measuring 377 ft x 377 ft. If the pyramid had been completed, it would have had six or seven steps and a final height of 230 ft - 236 ft. Like Djoser´s pyramid, that of Sekhemkhet was built of lime stone bricks. The monument remained unfinished, possibly because of the pharaoh´s sudden death. Therefore, only the first step of the pyramid was finished, leaving a monument in shape of a large, quadratic mastaba.
