CHAPTER XI.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PYRAMIDS OF MEROE.

THE SOUTHERN GROUP, AND THE GROUPS ON THE PLAIN.

The Southern Group of the Pyramids of Meroe lies across the sandy valley, a little to the south-east of the Northern Group. At the western mouth of the valley are the ruins of a pyramid of a very late date ; it is unimportant, and except for its connection with the Southern Group would not have needed mention. The pyramids of this Group are about fifty in number, but of these, some forty are little more than shapeless heaps of ruins. A glance at the Group shows the visitor at once that its pyramids have no framework at their angles, and that they are less truncated than those of the Northern Group. The stones in the layers are often nearly square, and most of them were hewn from good quarry beds by skilful workmen. Several of the pyramids appear to have been built at a time when more care was given to the building of the monument proper than to the decoration of the chapel walls.

Pyramid No. i. The sides of this pyramid at the base were each about 20 feet long, and its chapel was a small one ; a good deal of the south-east corner still remains, but the rest of the building is ruined. Its appearance suggests that many of its stones have been used in the construction of other pyramids.

Pyramid No. 2. This pyramid contains eighteen layers of good well cut stones, but very little mortar was used in its construction ; the length of each side at the base is about 22 feet. The chapel is in ruins ; it was badly built, and was not ornamented with reliefs.

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