A geometric study of the New Kingdom pyramidia

The pyramidia of pyramids represent a valuable source of information on the owners of the tombs and their religious beliefs when they are inscribed and decorated, but also, indirectly, on the geometry of the monument to which they once belonged. They are, in fact, a miniature version of the original pyramid: in case the latter is lost or too damaged, the pyramidion can provide information on its proportions and even provide indirect clues about its dimensions. Just over one hundred pyramidia dating to the New Kingdom survive; half come from the Theban area. A geometrical study of their slope provides information not only on the funerary monuments to which they belonged but also on the mathematical knowledge involved in the construction of pyramids. The same range of slopes on the Theban pyramidia can also be found on their Memphite counterparts. Compared to the Old and Middle Kingdom, the results highlight the discontinuity due to the significantly reduced scale of the New Kingdom pyramids and, at the same time, the continuity in terms of the system used to calculate and measure their slope.