The Pyramids of EgyptGrade 4A.Craig

What are the pyramids?

Pyramids are shrines to the pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

The Pharaohs who built them are buried inside, in mastabas.

Built of blocks of limestone and mud.

Know your terms!

A mastaba is an ancient Egyptian mud-brick tomb with a rectangular base and sloping sides and flat roof.

Example of a Mastaba Tomb

Who built them? Pyramid constructions were ordered by the

Pharaohs of ancient Egypt.

They were built by thousands of Egyptians and slaves.

Entire cities were built for theworkers to live in.

How were they built?The stone was cut and

moved to the pyramid

site.

Workers cut and pulled away the giant blocks of limestone from quarries.

They used sleds or logs as rollers, so the stones were easier to move.

Know your terms!

A quarry is a surface excavation for extracting stone or slate.

Fun Fact! Limestone blocks usually ranged in size from

2.5 to 15 tons!

That means they got as big as a female Sperm whale!

How were they built?The stones were pulled

up ramps and placed. Workers pulling the

stones also used sleds with grease to move them.

Dirt and wood ramps were used to get stones to higher places.

The Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza These are the most

famous Egyptian pyramids of all.

The largest is called the Great Pyramid of Kuhfu.

They are near the Great Sphinx of Giza.

Know your terms! Sphinx is a Greek word for

‘strangler’. It originated from creature that had the head of a woman and the body of a lion and the wings of a bird.

Fun Fact! The myth goes that the Sphinx lost it’s

nose when Napoleon's army shot it off with a cannon in 1798!

It really was lost by windand sand erosion.

Let’s go inside the Pyramids!

Let’s go inside the Pyramids!

The entrance: This photo is of the

original entrance of the Great Pyramid. It was sealed off so well, that a new entrancewas made before the original one was found.

Let’s go inside the Pyramids!

Paintings and hieroglyphics:

Paintings inside the pyramids were used to tell stories or give instructions.

Let’s go inside the Pyramids!

Hieroglyphics were the written language of the ancient Egyptians.

Some were instructions to guide spirits to the afterlife.

Know your terms! Hieroglyphics were the

form of writing used by the ancient Egyptians. Figures of objects represent words or syllables.

Let’s go inside the Pyramids!

Treasure! Pharaohs were

buried with many treasures and items.

They believed these would be used in the afterlife.

Treasure!

It’s a trap!

As with any treasure, thieves have attempted to rob the pyramids since they were built.

Little did most know, the Egyptians had a fewtricks up their sleeves!

It’s a trap!

Traps included:

Curses – Brought bad luck to intruders

Falling Rocks – Heavy rocks fell on robbers

Hidden Holes – Trespassers would fall in and not get out

Powders – Poisonous powders were released

Fake Passageways – Robbers got lost inside the pyramid

Head Wires – Sharp wires were strung up in tunnels, one wrong step and robbers could be decapitated!

Know your terms!

Curses are any expressed wish that some form of adversity or unhappiness will befall another person.