The Pyramids of Meroë and the Treasure Hunter
In the Sudanese desert stand more pyramids than in all of Egypt. Many are missing their tops, because of one treasure hunter in 1834.
What was reported
Meroë was the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, which ruled along the Nile in what is now Sudan for centuries. Its kings and queens were buried under steep, narrow pyramids, about 200 of which still stand among the dunes.
In 1834, an Italian adventurer, Giuseppe Ferlini, searching for treasure, demolished the tops of many pyramids. In one, he found a hoard of gold jewellery, which he sold to museums in Europe. Encouraged, he and others damaged dozens more, finding little.
Explanations offered
The pyramids are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and many have been studied and partly restored. Ferlini's damage is still visible. Kushite pyramids are smaller and steeper than Egyptian ones, and Sudan has more of them than Egypt.
- When
- Built from about 300 BC; damaged in 1834
- Where
- Meroë, River Nile, Sudan
- Witnesses
- Archaeologists and travellers
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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