Articles
The levels of the Nile floods at Snofru’s time and in the second half of the reign of the 12th dynasty as revealed in the Westcar Papyrus
Roman Orekhov
Vostok/Oriens '2018, №5
DOI: 10.31857/S086919080001849-0
The article discusses the hypothesis that the Westcar papyrus (P.West. 6, 10f) contains unique information on the levels of the Nile floods during the reign of Snofru and in the second half of the Twelfth Dynasty. The Valley Temple of the Snofru’s Southern Pyramid could be designed in accordance with the maximum level of floods, which in the beginning of the reign of the Fourth Dynasty, approached 30 meters above sea level. This temple was located next to the canal, in the depths of the artificial wadi, or canal that connected two of the Snofru’s Pyramid Complexes. In the late Old Kingdom, the advance of sand from the desert destroyed both the temple and the canal. However, in the second half of the Twelfth Dynasty, when the Westcar Papyrus was probably written, kings unexpectedly resumed constructing activity in the Dahshur necropolis and erected their pyramids in the immediate vicinity of the Snofru’s pyramids. They also revived his cult and partially restored his Valley Temple. It may be explained by the fact that in the second half of the Twelfth Dynasty, Nile floods became as massive as they were in the Old Kingdom.
Keywords: the papyrus Westcar, Snofru, Amenemhet III, the pyramid complex, king Snofru, the levels of the Nile floods, 12th Dynasty
Pages: С. 56–73
