Inside the Red Pyramid of Sneferu

The vaulted ceiling of the most interior chamber of the Red Pyramid of Sneferu at Dahshur, located well inside the masonry core of the monument. This was the first pyramid to include chambers without direct connection to fresh air (hot air goes up). Providing this was a problem, it might have inspired the construction of the “ventilation” channels of the following pyramid to be built, Akhet Khufu. This would suggest a multiple-task design of the devices. Notably, no other pyramid had the same problem afterwards.

Photo: Kenneth Garrett