The Pyramids

• In Ancient Egypt the pyramids are the burial places for kings, queens, and other people wealthy enough to afford them.

• When most people think of Egypt they think of the pyramids. These monuments remain thousands of years after they were built.

The Queen’s Chamber in Khufu’s PyramidThe Queen’s Chamber in Khufu’s Pyramid

• To build pyramids Egyptians needed an understanding of engineering, mathematics, science, and technology.

• Slaves were originally thought to have built the pyramids.

• Today because of a recent discovery (2002) of a “workers village” found in Giza, we know that most work on the pyramids was done during the flooding of the Nile when people could not farm.

• It is estimated that it took 100 000 workers about 20 years to move the 2 million stone blocks to construct a pyramid.

FUN FACT: The pyramid is estimated to have about 2,300,000 stone blocks weighing from 2-30 Tons each with some weighing as much as 70 tons.

• About 80 pyramids are known today.

FUN FACT: The mortar used is of an unknown origin. It has been analyzed and its chemical composition is known but can't be reproduced. The mortar is stronger than the stone and still holding up today.

• Places of the dead (pyramids and cemeteries) were built on the West bank of the Nile because it was believed that the sun “died” there every night.

• Technology used to produce the pyramids include: plumb line, set squares, mallets and chisels.

• We still don’t know today how the pyramids were really built.

• There is also debate about what they were used for.

• But there are A LOT of theories. • View the 7 resources using your QR code

readers. • In your duotang, record your answers to the

questions on a piece of loose-leaf.

So how were the pyramids built?

Last Question

•Consider the technology of building a pyramid with the use of ramps:

8a. Which ramp theory do you think is most likely to have been used?

8b. Why do you think the other theories are not likely?

Saqqura

• Saqqura is a vast, ancient burial ground for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis.

• Saqqura has numerous pyramids. • The earliest stone pyramid was built at Saqqura

around 2700 BCE; it is the Step Pyramid of Djoser.

• The pyramid was built for the burial of pharaoh Djoser by Imhotep, his vizier.

The Real Imhotep

FUN FACT: The real Imhotep was deified 1400 years after his life.

• There are 6 “steps” to the pyramid.

• The burial chambers of the Step Pyramid of Djoser are hidden underground in a maze of tunnels.

Giza

• Giza is the place where the three largest and sturdiest pyramids were built.

• The largest pyramid is known as the “Great Pyramid” at Giza, it was built for pharaoh Khufu.

FUN FACT: There are no hieroglyphics or writing in the Great Pyramid.

• The second pyramid was built for pharaoh Khafre.

• The third or smaller pyramid was built for Menkaure.

• The limestone beast with the head of a man and body of a lion is called the Sphinx. It was built about 4500 years ago. Its face is thought to by that of Khafre, the builder of the second largest pyramid at Giza.