The pyramidion of Amenemhat III is an exquisite and valuable artifact discovered in the late 19th century. This pyramidion, a capstone for the pyramid of Amenemhat III, was originally located at the top of the pyramid. It boasts relative preservation, featuring hieroglyphic inscriptions adorning the king’s access to the sun god.
Standing at 1.40 meters (4.6 feet) tall, with a base length of 1.85 meters (6.1 feet), and weighing around 4.5 tons (9,900 lbs), the pyramidion is an imposing structure. The bottom edges are undercut to keep the black granite positioned atop the pyramid.
The four upper faces of the pyramidion are polished, while two lines of inscriptions run around it. The eastern inscription begins with, “Open is the face of the King Amenemhat, he opens the Lord of the Horizon crossing the sky,” and the northern inscription reads, “High is the soul (Ba) of King Amenemhat more than the height of Orion, and it joins the Duat.”
Further down, there are signs that stand for beauty or perfection. Finally, there is a sun disk that represents the god Ra. The overall composition reads, “Amenemhat beholds the perfection of Ra.”
The name of the god Amun in Amenemhat’s cartouche has been erased, suggesting a possible link to the reign of Akhenaten in the 18th Dynasty, implying that the pyramidion may have been laid on the ground since around 1350 BC.
This pyramidion is now housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and is considered one of the most valuable artifacts from the Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, and the reign of Amenemhat III, dating to 1860-1814 BC. It was discovered in Dahshur and is currently on display in the Egyptian Museum with the inventory number JE 35133.
