Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
by Krysta Cardinale“Great Wonders of the World”
The Ancient Egyptian Pyramids are among the grandest constructions ever built by human beings. Egypt’s culture dates back so far, and is filled with so many wonders and achievements. But of all Egypt’s wonders, only one captured the world’s imagination like nothing else in human history. In the desert of the Geyser Plateau, stoically surviving the swirling winds and grinding sands of nearly 5000 years, the pyramids of Egypt defined this society that dreamed of immortality. The pyramids seemed to have defeated time itself. They are the world’s most recognized symbol of the glory that was ancient Egypt, built as tombs later gutted, robbed, battered by the centuries, and still they endure.
The pyramids of Egypt were built to house the Pharaohs for eternity, but the stones would fail them. The tomb became a beacon attracting as many robbers as it repelled and Egypt became a land overrun by treasure seekers. There was no stopping the looting and plunder to come. A Pharaoh’s tomb was designed to protect his treasure and provide his mummy safe passage through eternity, but the lure of royal treasure was irresistible. Despite the royal architect’s best efforts the tombs were violated. The great stonewalls could not protect the Kings from the greed in the hearts of men. The intruders might be simple robbers, members of the Kings own priesthood or even the very builders of the tomb itself. Actual trial transcripts found on an ancient papyrus revealed their greed.
How were Pyramids Built?
Due to the lack in technology and the immense size and detail of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids many people wonder what technique was used to erect such structures. At first, it was believed that a trial and error method was used. Initially, the pyramids of Egypt were built as step pyramids, and then filled in along the way. This accounts for the sloped sides.
There are more than 2.3 million blocks of limestone in the Great Pyramid of Geops, each stone weighing from two to fifteen tons. Its base is a near perfect square; 481 feet tall, it could hold the equivalent of 872 wide-bodied jets, and still today the mysteries abound, where did the technology come from? How were they able to move such vast amounts of stone prior to the invention of the wheel? Perhaps most intriguing of all, who could have imagined all the possible eternal stone structures of the largest on earth when nothing, even a fraction of their size, had ever been built. The answer lies 9 miles South, among the old Kingdom tombs of Saqqara, and the Step Pyramid of King Djoser. It was the very first stone building in the entire world. This was the laboratory that proved the great pyramids of Egypt possible. Unlike anything the world had ever seen it was so remarkable a feat of engineering. The first architect, Imhotep was proclaimed “God.” Originally, he designed a simple low-slung tomb called the Mastaba, but Imhotep wasn’t satisfied. He added one layer then another, and another, and another as if building steps to heaven. He also tunneled deep into the earth creating a labyrinth of chambers, galleries and car doors designed to keep the Kings true burial site secret, and to protect the royal mummy from grave robbers. Down dark, twisting passageways at every turn in every detail is what Imhotep accomplished, and still seems overwhelming.
The materials and methods used in construction of these grandeur structures changed according to the period it was built. The earliest of the pyramids actually survived better than the ones built by later pharaohs.
Unlike common belief, research has shown that the pyramid laborers were actually paid workers and not slaves. It is also said that these craftsmen worked on the pyramids of Egypt during the times of Nile flooding because harvesting and farming was near impossible. Today, it takes a 350 horsepower diesel engine and a hydraulic lifter to pick up a 7-ton granite slab. Many of the building blocks in the great pyramids weighed more than twice as much. Although no description or narrative account has ever been found telling how these massive stone monuments were created, this tomb drawing contains tantalizing clues. It shows the 160 workers needed to move a single statue. How many more must it have taken to build a pyramid? Many believe the stones were moved on enormous wood sleds along mud-slicked paths. Others think rolling logs were used, or even canals built from the Nile, and the stones floated in on barges. Ramps most likely raised the stones into place, but how they built on such a scale and with such uncanny precision is the greatest wonder of this great wonder of the world.
The first Ancient Egyptian Pyramids ever built, during the Third and Fourth Dynasties, were made completely of stone. However, during the Fifth Dynasty there was a noticeable reduction in size and the change from granite to a poor quality limestone as the main building material. The Middle Kingdom pyramid construction period showed other changes in technique. At this time the bricks used to build were actually mud bricks encased in a polished limestone, and were even smaller in size.
Several Famous Ancient Egyptian Pyramids’ Sites
In Egypt today, there are about 80 to 110 Ancient Egyptian Pyramids. Some of them are relatively small and in very poor condition, while others are grouped in “pyramid fields.”
• Abu Rawash- This is where Egypt’s northern most pyramid lies. At first it was believed that this structure was never completed, however this has been proven false and it was once as equal in size to the third largest ever built. However, today there is not much of it left.
• Giza- It is located south of Cairo and is considered a “Pyramid Field.” The Pyramid of Khufu (also referred to as the “Great Pyramid”), the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, several smaller “queens” pyramids, and the Great Sphinx are all located here. The Great Pyramid is actually considered one of the “Seven Wonders of the World.”
• Abu Sir- This is another pyramid field consisting of seven structures. The ones located here were built during the Fifth Dynast and are poorer in quality and smaller in size. The three major pyramids here are the Niuserre, Neferirkare Kakai, and the Sahure.
• Saqqara- It is the site of the world’s oldest stone monumental building, the Step Pyramid of Djozer. It also contains one of the best preserved pyramids, the Pyramid of Unas.
• Dahshur- The site is one of the most important pyramid sites under only Giza and Saqqara. Here is located the Pyramid of Sneferu, or the Bent Pyramid, which is said to be the first attempt of construction a smooth sided pyramid. The Red Pyramid is also found here and is actually the first successfully built smooth-sided pyramid and is the third larges in Egypt.
