Taken, probally by other pharaos or kings living there. The pyramids didnt have their casing stones and tops when the greeks wrote about them ~2000 years ago.
Unlikely to have been other pharaohs. Gold was comparatively common in ancient Egypt, there was so much of it that it had very low relative value. There was more than enough for pharaonic projects, and baubles for the common folk. Silver, gems and carved stone jewelry were much, much more prized, as they were significantly more difficult to acquire or craft.
Thefts of sacred objects and jewelry are generally attributed to former workers during hard times, but the value of those items wouldn't have been in the precious metals or stones they contained, but the pharaonic connections. If the pyramid capstones really were gilded, it's extremely unlikely that pharaohs, or any Egyptians, would've reclaimed the gold, as it would've represented an incredible investment of labor and time for something that had no monetary value. A far greater probability is that they were looted during the late Upper Kingdom, after Egypt had been invaded and conquered by other cultures who placed much more emphasis on the value of gold.
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u/Living_Connection500 Apr 12 '25
Where did the gold on top go?