Pyramid of Amenemhet I at Lisht - 12th Dynasty. The first ruler of the 12th Dynasty, Amenemhet's pyramid today stands mostly in ruins that only rise about 20m above ground level. The pyramid had a limestone core with a loose fill of sand, debris and mudbrick and an outer casing of fine tufa limestone. Relief blocks from Old Kingdom monuments were used to line the passageways of the pyramid, and like many of these Middle Kingdom pyramids, the underground burial chamber is flooded and remains unexplored.

Pyramid of Senusret I at Lisht - 12th Dynasty. Located on a prominent hill near the Fayoum oasis, Senusret's pyramid complex is on the scale larger then many Old Kingdom pyramids. Local limestone was used in the core, and a block framework was then filled with fragments of limestone, sand and waste material. Backing stones rest on the steps, and a casing of fine white limestone was used to finish the pyramid. The burial chamber is flooded and has never been excavated.

Pyramid of Amenemhet II at Dahshur - 12th Dynasty. Located east of the Red Pyramid at Dahshur, Amenemhet's "white pyramid" was built much like that of Senusret I's pyramid, with a core that had corners radiating out. A framework was made with horizontal lines of blocks to form a grid, or framework between the corners. Here, though it was filled with sand and today the remains bear more resemblance to a cluster of small hills than a major pyramid complex.

Pyramid of Senusret II at Lahun - 12th Dynasty. Senusret II's pyrmiad known as "Senusret shines", is located near Fayoum, rather than at Dahshur where his father's pyramid is. It was first investigated by the Lepsius expedition in the 1840s, but was only later examined in detail by Petrie. Like so many Middle Kingdom pyramids, only the deteriorated inner core now remains. Dozens of papyri were discovered at the nearby pyramid town which gave fascinating insights into the social and economic life of the time.

Pyramid of Amenemhet III [1] at Dahshur - 12th Dynasty. The "black pyramid" of Amenemhat III is now nothing more than a pile of rubble. Originally called "Amenemhat is mighty", it was constructed with a core of mudbricks and encased in limestone, but the usual internal stone structures were not used, and this may be the reason for its eventual collapse. In 1990, a fine grey granite pyramidion (cap stone) was discovered in the rubble, which is now on display at the Egyptian museum, Cairo.

Pyramid of Amenemhet III [2] at Hawara - 12th Dynasty. Amenemhet III was the last powerful ruler of the 12th Dynasty, and the pyramid he built at Hawara is believed to have been his final resting place. At Hawara there was also the intact (pyramid) tomb of his daughter, Neferu-Ptah. This pyramid and the large mortuary temple here attracted the attention of several classical writers including Herodotus in the mid 5th century. Unfortunately the classical descriptions of this ancient marvel no longer match the modern day remains.

Pyramid of Senusret III at Dahshur - 12th Dynasty. Senusret's pyramid far surpasses the pyramids of his predecessors in the 12th Dynasty in size and represents another developmental milestone in pyramid design. Whilst little was discovered in the burial chamber - it had been robbed in antiquity, tombs located to the north revealed significant finds of jewellery, and there are at least three queen's pyramids located to the south. Six wooded funerary boats were also discovered on the site.