The pyramids of Egypt are one of the ancient mysteries of the world. These pyramids were built to serve as tombs for the ancient Egyptians Pharaohs and their spouses. Egyptian pyramids have been a topic of interest for historians because they have so much relevance to them. These pyramids vary in terms of their sizes and of the techniques used in their construction. Historical records indicate that some of the largest pyramids are found at a place called Giza, near the city of Cairo, and these are believed to have been constructed between 2589-2504 BC. These pyramids have brought fame to Egypt and have attracted millions of tourists to the country each other year. The pyramids were built following the order of one of the pharaohs to have ruled Egypt, and each pyramid was constructed with a unique technique. They were built using stone; sand and water which helped stick the materials together. The constructors used highly polished limestone which made the pyramids a shining appearance from a distance. Although records indicating how the pyramids were built, who built then and when they were built are available, research is still on going because these structures are one of the mysteries of the world.
Most scientists believe that the pyramids of Egypt were built to serve as tombs for the pharaohs in just as well as their spouses. Records indicate that the pharaohs were buried alongside their wealth and gold, as it was believed they would require these items in their next life. Before pharaohs began to rule Egypt, the reigning kings were buried in open graves. Little modifications were made to these tombs which were constructed with wooden roof over the open graves. The pyramids can be said to be an advanced model of the ancient tombs which were used by Kings. In the second dynasty, the “mastaba” was commonly used as a tomb which was made of wood and had a rectangular shape. It is in the third dynasty when the royal tombs took the shape of the pyramids and were made of stone. The pyramids were designed with texts and images on the walls which helped the kings and pharaohs in transitioning to the next life. The pyramids were faced with threats from invaders who broke in to steal the valuables that were buried alongside the Pharaohs. Some critics have argued that the Egyptian pyramids were not used as tombs but as water reserves, power plants, sites for ceremonies and observations sites. The critics base their opinion on the fact that body parts of the pharaohs have not been seen in the pyramids to conclude them to be tombs. This fact also has received criticism because some pharaohs had more than one tomb. It is not clear whether these pharaohs used the tomb for other purposes and then their bodies were buried elsewhere.
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Each pharaoh designed their pyramids according to their own preference, and this explains why they differ in size, the color of stones used and the type of limestone used to furnish its surface. The pharaohs appointed an officer to oversee the construction of the pyramid and thousands of slaves were forced to provide labor. This indicates that the pharaohs were dictators who forced people to work for them without pay. These workers moved up close to six million blocks of stone using rope and wood which subjected them to hard labor (Shaw, 2003) . The slaves who worked to build the Egyptian pyramids were forced to work while being beaten by the appointees of the Pharaoh. A bread making factory and animal slaughter are the only evidence indicating the type of food that was fed to the workers. The bones of cattle, sheep and goat found on the construction sites of these pyramids indicate that thousands of workers were involved in their construction.
The pyramids of Giza are believed to be the most famous of them all because they harbor the largest pyramids. It is believed that the techniques used to build these pyramids were so complex which took them many years to develop. There is no much evidence about how these structures were constructed by historians have had to bring together pieces of information to come up with the records. Research is still ongoing to come up with a clear picture how they were constructed. It is believed that the first ever pyramid of Giza was constructed around the period of 2551 BC by the reigning Pharaoh Khufu (Jarus, 2016) . This pyramid is referred to as “The Great Pyramid” because of its size which is estimated to be 455 feet high. Building the Pyramids of Giza was faced by various challenges which delayed their construction. Before pyramids were constructed to be used as tombs, the “mastaba” which a rectangular tomb was used. It is in the reign of Pharaoh Djoser which started in 2630 BC that his “mastaba” was developed to a step pyramid with chambers and tunnels beneath it.
Several years later, the techniques to build pyramids went a notch higher when Pharaoh Snefru who reigned in the period 2575 BC ordered the construction of a pyramid with a smooth surface unlike that of Pharaoh Djoser which has steps. It is believed that the architects who designed the first pyramid of Pharaoh Snefru made a mistake thus giving the pyramid a bent shape. This pyramid has been named “the bent pyramid” by historians. These architects built a second pyramid to correct their first mistake which was constructed using red stones. This second pyramid of Pharaoh Snefru is named as “the red pyramid” after the stones used to construct it. This pyramid is built at Dahshur did not have any flaw which made it a real pyramid. Snefru’s successor who is also his son Khufu adopted his father’s techniques and those of the former Pharaohs to construct “The Great Pyramid” which is the most famous pyramid in the history of Egypt.
It is often believed that the Pharaohs would appoint an officer to oversee the construction of the pyramids. It is still not clear how the Egyptians had the ability to align the pyramids to make a perfect structure. It is estimated that close to 10,000 workmen were involved in the construction of the pyramid of Giza (Shaw, 2003) . The ports of Giza were used as collection points for food for the workers and as well, for the raw materials that were used for constructing the pyramids. Animals were brought from the Nile Delta, and they would be slaughtered and used as food for the constructors. Archaeologists believe that the workers were fed meat constantly to entice them to work because this diet was better than what they would eat back at home. The stones used to construct Khufu’s pyramid are believed to have come from a quarry with the shape of a horseshoe close to the pyramid. After its completion, the pyramids would be furnished to a smooth finish using limestone. This stone was used for its shinning appearance which made the pyramids noticeable from a distance. Archaeologists believe that this limestone was extracted from a quarry in Turah and later transported to the construction site by boat through River Nile. The building blocks were moved using sledges which were pulled by group of constructers for easy movement. Water was used to soften the ground so that the sledge would easily move. It is not clear how the constructers moved the stones up because little or no evidence exists about this technique.
After Pharaoh Khufu, the very second one of the pharaohs who built pyramids is Pharaoh Khafre who is believed to have built the Sphinx pyramid whose face is on the monument. Menkaure is the third pharaoh who is believed to have built a pyramid at Giza. Menkaure whose reign began at around 2490 BC made a small pyramid compared to his predecessors which measured 215 feet high. Some of the known sites of the pyramids include, Abu Rawash, Abu Sir, Saqqara, Dahshur, Lisht, Mazghuna, Meidum, Hawara,El-Kurru, Nuri, el- Lahun and the famous Giza. The pyramid in Abu Rawash is estimated to be the same size as the pyramid of Menkaure which is the third largest pyramid in Egypt. In Abu Sir, records indicate that this site has 14 pyramids which were built in the fifth dynasty of Egyptian ancient leadership. The quality of the pyramids of Abu Sir is low compared to that of the previous pharaohs. The limestone used for the finish was also of a low quality. The famous pyramid of Pharaoh Djsoer is located in Saqqara. In this site, there are other pyramids which include pyramid of Merikare, pyramid of Userkaf and pyramid of Teti. Saqqara harbors an incomplete pyramid built by pharaoh Djsoer’s successor which was named “Buried Pyramid.” The Bent Pyramid which was constructed in Pharaoh Snefru’s dynasty was built in Dahshur. This site also has the Red Pyramid which was named after the red stones used to construct it. Mazhguna is located not far from Dahshur has several pyramids.
All these Egyptian pyramids were built on different dates but archeologists indicate that the construction began after 3000 BC. Little evidence is available about the specific period when the pyramids were built but scientists have used pieces of information to estimate the period when they are built. The pyramids of Giza were built in the period between 2589- 2504 BC (Jarus, 2016) . The pyramids at Saqqara are estimated to have been built between the periods 2920-2770 BC. The pyramids of Pharaoh Djoser were built between 2630- 2611 BC (Ancient Egypt Research Associates, 2016) . The pyramids of Snefru are believed to have been built between 2612- 2589 BC while the pyramid of Menkaure were built between 2532-2504 BC. The pyramids but at Nuri in the dynasty of Pharaoh Taharqa were built in the year 664 BC. In the dynasty of Amenemhat I pyramids were built between 1991-1962 BC at Lisht. Under Pharaoh Amenemhat III, pyramids were built at Hawara between 1860-1814 BC. All these pyramids varied in size, shaped, mode of construction depending on the preference of the reigning Pharaoh.
The pyramids of Egypt are one of the fascinating places and monuments in the world which attract a good number of people worldwide. The pyramids a mystery to scientists, historians and archaeologists from the techniques used in their construction, who built them, when they were built and what they were used for. It is until in the last century when tangible information has been derived about the mystery of these structures. The Egyptian pyramids were used as tombs to bury pharaohs and their queens replacing the ancient tombs known as “mastaba.” After their death, it is believed that the Pharaohs were buried alongside their wealth and gold which was believed to help them transition to the next life with the gods. Each pyramid varied in size, technique of construction and the type of limestone used to furnish it. The largest and most famous pyramids are located at Giza where several Pharaohs ordered them to be constructed. The Pharaohs forced people to provide labor for construction while appointing officers to oversee the projects. The Egyptian pyramids are still an ongoing research because most of the evidence about them has been destroyed either by human actions or due to age.
References
Ancient Egypt Research Associates. (2016). How Old Are the Pyramids | Mark Lehner's Team
Finds Out | Ancient Egypt Research Associates . Aeraweb.org . Retrieved 27 February
2017, from http://www.aeraweb.org/projects/how-old-are-the-pyramids/
Jarus, O. (2016). How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?. Live Science . Retrieved from
http://www.livescience.com/32616-how-were-the-egyptian-pyramids-built-.html
Shaw, J. (2003). http://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/who-built-the-pyramids-html. Harvard
Magazine . Retrieved from http://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/who-built-the-pyramids- html
