The Step Pyramid

By: Bella Rees

On the first day of our J-Term class and tour, our group visited the Saqqara complex, the Step Pyramid, and the pyramid/tomb of Unas, the ninth and final king of the Fifth Dynasty.

We first learned about the Step Pyramid as we approached the Saqqara Complex. The Step Pyramid caught my attention, and I was most dazzled by the first fun fact I learned, which affected my interest and focus for the rest of this class. That fun fact is that the Step Pyramid is the first known multi-level structure to be built in the world. Not only is that astonishing on its own, but the fact that it is still standing today is an amazing testament to the sustainability of Egyptian architecture. This fact set me on a path to consider architecture, construction logistics, and the many lenses through which structures are viewed, which were all thoughts and focuses I easily applied to the rest of this J-term class.

Now, despite the name, the Step Pyramid isn’t a true pyramid, as true pyramids are characterized by their sleek sides that converge into a point at the top, whereas a ‘step pyramid’ has large block and step-like sides that meet with a flat top that doesn’t end in a point. Instead, the Step Pyramid was originally built as a stacked stone bench structure (a mastaba) and was made in honor of Djoser, the first pharaoh of the third dynasty. While we did not visit the very first pyramid, we did learn about it while visiting the Saqqara Complex. The Bent Pyramid is called this because halfway through its construction, it was realized that the dimensions were calculated incorrectly, and adjustments were put in place so that the structure wouldn’t fall. This resulted in the Bent Pyramid not having straight slants to each of its sides like other pyramids after it, but instead looking like its bending and leaning inward to meet at the point. 

Before getting up close to the Step Pyramid, our group learned about and walked around the remains of the Heb-Sed Court within the Saqqara Complex, which originally had tall and thick walls. Some parts of the wall still exist today. This court was the site of an important festival called Heb-Sed, which was held as a test of strength for the pharaoh after thirty years of ruling. This festival consisted of a ritual performed by the pharaoh. It included making offerings to multiple gods, running from the court to the Step Pyramid and back again, and then the pharaoh was to fight an animal and survive. After all of this was completed, the pharaoh had to do everything again! When the Heb-Sed festival was celebrated and conducted, Egypt was split between the Upper and Lower parts but was ruled by one pharaoh. Since Upper and Lower Egypt were united, the pharaoh had to prove fitness and skill for both parts of Egypt. 

After learning about and exploring the Step Pyramid and the Saqqara Complex’s Heb-Sed Court, our group ducked underground to be inside of and observe Unas’s tomb. The Tomb of Unas is the only known tomb from this period with hieroglyphics. The decline into the Earth was steeper than I would have guessed but was gilded by railings and wooden flooring that made it easier to climb or descend (these exist so that tourists can explore). The walls were covered top to bottom in hieroglyphics! What I found most interesting this early on in our adventure was learning that the ceilings of tombs were decorated with stars to simulate the night sky above. Many of my fellow students asked how the ancient Egyptians could have decorated with this style of stars because the stars depicted on the ceiling were reminiscent of the classic five-point star we see today. Our professors best speculated that the stars were most likely artist’s renditions, which may have influenced how we commonly draw stars today.

“Ṣaqqārah.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 Jan. 2025, www.britannica.com/place/Saqqarah.  Accessed 30 Jan. 2025. 

“Egyptology.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/science/Egyptology.  Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.