Senusret II chose to build his pyramid, called Senusret Shines, near the modern town of Lahun (Kahun) at the opening of the Hawara basin near the Fayoum, rather than at Dahshur where his father's (Amenemhet II) pyramid is located. It was first investigated by the Lepsius expedition in the 1840s, but was only later examined in detail by Petrie.
The location of Senusret II's valley temple is known but no ground plan can be made from its ruins. The causeway is likewise ruined, but must have been broad, and of the completely destroyed mortuary temple on the east side of the pyramid, all that is known is that it must have been built of decorated granite, judging from the few fragments that remain.
Lahoun pyramid in Fayoum
West of the entrance shaft of the Lahoun pyramid Petrie discovered the ruins of the tomb of Princess Sathathoriunet (Sithathoriunet), where he discovered the famous Treasure of el-Lahun, which included wonderful jewelry and other items from the her burial equipment. These items included a gold headband, a gold necklace of small leopard's heads, two gold pectorial ornamented with precious stones one of which was inscribed with Senusret II's name and the second with the name of Amenemhet III. There were also other bracelets, rings and alabaster and obsidian vessels that were decorated with gold, all of which today can be found in the Egyptian Antiquities Museum in Cairo.
Nearby the complex to the northwest lies the ruins of the pyramid town that grew up around the construction of Senusret II's pyramid. Coriginally named Hetep Senusret, meaning "May Senusret be at Peace". It has provided considerable information to Egyptologists on the lives of common Egyptians and urbanism. This ancient village is today known as Lahun, or Kahun, after the local nearby village.
The Pyramid of Senusret II at Lahun in Egypt
The Ministry of Antiquities stated that the 4,000 year old mud-brick pyramid was established by 12th dynasty pharaoh Senusret II, who ruled Egypt from 1897 BC to 1878 BC.
According to ABC News, the entrance of the pyramid is located on the southern side, which is peculiar as Egypt’s other pyramids typically have entrances on their northern sides.
Describing the restoration work, al-Anany said that the process included the removal of debris found in the burial chamber and installing wooden passageways around the entrance. An entirely new lighting system was also installed and the pyramid’s floors were rehabilitated. The Antiquities Minister added that preservation process secured the return of all fragmented stones to their original places in both the hall and the corridor.
The opening event took place in the presence of multiple officials including Governor of Fayoum Essam Saad, General Secretary of the Supreme Council of Antiquities Mostafa Waziri and several parliament members, according to the Ministry of Antiquities.
British archeologist William Petrie first discovered the pyramid in 1889, and it remained an obscure find. In 2009 several pharaonic-era mummies within brightly-painted wooden coffins were unearthed from the pyramid by a group of archaeologists, Reuters reported.
New discoveries were found at the pyramid during an expedition headed by the Waziri. Among these include recently excavated artifacts found in a Middle Kingdom tomb, which housed several coffins belong to men, women and children.
Waziri also announced that among the new findings were human bones, and clay pots of various sizes and shapes.
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