S01 E07: Egypt's First Age of Gold

Hello everyone. I hope you enjoy this week's episode of the History of Africa Podcast. This week, we focus on the Third Dynasty, the first line of kings of Egypt's "Old Kingdom." This period was the first peak of civilizational advancement in Ancient Egypt, and would last until 2181 B.C.

Anyways, here's some visual aids for this week's episode. Firstly, here is Djoser's step pyramid today. Notice how the structure is essentially composed of five mastabas stacked on top of each other?

Attribution: http://sonyaandtravis.com

Here is a picture of the funerary complex outside of the step pyramid, where priests conducted the funerary rights for Djoser. 

Djoser-Ty is more commonly known as Sekhemkhet. I chose to call him Djoser-Ty, however, because that was his birth name. While I generally prefer using the pharaohs Horus name, a more regal title used on serekhs, but because I used a birth name for Djoser, I thought it would be more consistent to refer to Sekhemkhet as Djoser-Ty throughout the duration of the episode. Anyways, here are the ruins of his pyramid. All this was buried under a layer of sand, so it remained undiscovered for a long period of time. 

If you'd like to learn about the brilliant archaeologist who discovered this pyramid, and the tragic fate that befell him afterward, you can listen to this week's premium episode by supporting the show on our Patreon page. We really need the support to continue making this podcast, as each episode requires several hours of work and it costs money to host the podcast. By supporting the show through Patreon for just $1.99 per month, you ensure that the show can continue.

    Anyways, here's the pyramid of Huni. Like Djoser-Ty's pyramid, it less resembles a monument and more resembles a pile of rubble. 

Huni was actually not buried at the "Layer Pyramid" as it has been nicknamed, but rather at a different site. You'll learn about how this new site was constructed by his son-in-law, Sneferu, next episode. Until then, enjoy the show.