ABSTRACT
The town was built originally to house the officials and workforce engaged in the construction of the pyramid of King Sesostris II at Lahun in c. 1895 BC. Sesostris ordered a town to be built which adjoined the temple in which he was to be worshipped; both the town and the temple were given the name of ‘HetepSesostris’, meaning ‘Sesostris is satisfied’. The pyramid has already been described; it was built on a natural rock mass which was cut into the required shape, and the upper part was constructed of mud-brick. It was situated in the desert, about 805 km from the cultivation, and on its east side there was a small temple which was decorated with offering scenes to supply the king’s spirit with sustenance after death. About half a mile away, opposite the east side of the pyramid and situated on the edge of the desert, a larger temple, also dedicated to Sesostris II, was built. These buildings formed the mortuary and valley temples usually seen in the typical pyramid complex.
