Pyramids surround more than a dozen Kushite kings, queens, and other nobility. (However, unlike Egyptian pyramids, Meroitic pyramids do not include a tomb.) The burial chamber is located beneath the pyramid, transforming it from a tomb to a massive headstone. There are several theories on how the Meroites constructed their pyramids; some believe they used stone blocks, while others think they were built with mud bricks. Kush was a powerful kingdom that occupied part of what is now Sudan and northeast Egypt. Its capital was Kerma. Although historically associated with Egypt, the Meroites were actually a separate culture from the Egyptians. They lived in southeast Africa between the 1st and 6th centuries AD. In A.D. 275, King Piankhi ordered the construction of a series of seven huge pyramids near his city of Kerma. Each pyramid was about 40 feet high and 20 feet wide at the base, made of dark brown sandstones. They remain intact to this day. The Meroitic language has been learned through rock engravings on the walls of these pyramids. These images tell the story of King Piankhi's life and the wars he fought against other kingdoms to become king. After his death, King Piankhi was buried inside one of the pyramids.