The Egyptian Pyramids

22 November 2007

The Egyptian Pyramids have always fascinated me. For one big reason is the question that has boggled many archeologists, anthropologists and scientists as well as myself. How did these people build these huge pyramids with over three hundred giant blocks of stones weighing nearly three tons apiece? It has been said that there are enough blocks in 5 pyramids to build a wall 7 meters high and 1 meter thick around the county of Iran.

Most pyramids were built during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. Second question that comes to mind is how they managed to build over two hundred of them. I’m sure that all of the pyramids built haven’t been discovered yet, there are probably more. The Great pyramid was 150 meters high. It ranked as the tallest structure on Earth for more than 7000 years. Each pyramid had its own name.

There was the Pyramid of Teti , known as Teti’s cult places are enduring, later the pyramid complexes surrounding the main structures had separate names. Most pyramids have since been given Arabic names by the locals, which usually reflect their appearance. Generally a pyramid was built and completed somewhere between twelve to fifteen years.

Questions that come to my mind here. Did the Egyptians use their own people to build their pyramids or was the building of the pyramids contracted out to other builders? How many people a day worked on these giant structures? What equipment such as tools, slides, crane devices did they use? Who were the master designers at each pyramid site? There are numerous questions I have concerning the mysteries of the pyramids. Maybe one day, the answers will come about.

The shape of Egyptian pyramids is thought to represent the primordial mound from which the Egyptians believed the earth was created. The shape is also thought to be representative of the descending rays of the sun, and most pyramids were faced with polished, highly reflective white limestone, in order to give them a brilliant appearance when viewed from a distance. Pyramids were often also named in ways that made reference to solar luminescence. For example, the formal name of the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur was The Southern Shining Pyramid, and that of Senwosret at el-Lahun was Senwosret is Shining.

Let’s begin with some Egyptian history here. The first historically documented Egyptian pyramid is attributed to the architect Imhotep, who in constructing what Egyptologists believe to be a tomb for the pharaoh Djozer, it is theorized first conceived the notion of stacking a number of mastabas on top of each other ­ thereby creating an edifice comprised of a number of steps that decreased in size towards its apex. The result was the Step Pyramid of Djozer­ which was designed to serve as a gigantic stairway by which the soul of the deceased pharaoh could ascend to the heavens. Such was the importance of Imhotep’s achievement that he was remembered by later Egyptians.

While it is generally agreed that pyramids were burial monuments, there is continued disagreement on the particular theological principles that might have given rise to them. One theory that has gained a degree of acceptance is that they were designed as a type of "resurrection machine" the Egyptians believed the dark area of the night sky around which the stars appear to revolve was the physical gateway into the heavens, and co-incidentally, one of the narrow shafts that extends from the main burial chamber through the entire body of the Great Pyramid points directly towards the center of this part of the sky.

This suggests the pyramid may have been designed to serve as a means to magically launch the deceased pharaoh’s soul directly into the abode of the gods. I believe the large stones were built on the sites of each pyramid, then crafted onto the structure from the stone assembly location.

All Egyptian pyramids were built, without exception, on the west bank of the Nile, which as the site of the setting sun was associated with the realm of the dead in Egyptian mythology. Major pyramids that are located here include the Step Pyramid of Djozer - generally identified as the world’s oldest substantial monumental structure to be built of finished stone - the Pyramid of Merykare, the Pyramid of Userkaf and the Pyramid of Teti. Also at Saqqara is the Pyramid of Unas, which retains a pyramid causeway that is amongst the best-preserved in Egypt.

This pyramid was also the subject of one of antiquities’ earliest restoration attempts, conducted under the auspices of one of the sons of Ramesses II. Saqqara is also the location of the incomplete step pyramid of Djozer’s successor Sekhemkhet, known as the Buried Pyramid. Archaeologists believe that had this pyramid been completed it would have been larger than Djozer’s.

South of the main pyramid field at Saqqara is a second collection of later, smaller pyramids, including those of Pepi I, Isesi, Merenre, Ibi, Pepi II and Shepseskaf. Most of these are in a poor state of preservation.

Pyramid / Pharaoh’s Years of Reign

Djozer c. 2630 - 2612 bc

Saqqara Sneferu (bent) c. 2612 - 2589 bc

Dashur Sneferu (red) c. 2612 - 2589 bc

Dashur Sneferu (ruined) c. 2612 - 2589 bc

Meidum Khufu c. 2589 - 2566 bc

Giza Djedefre c. 2566 - 2558 bc

Abu Rawash Khafre c. 2558 - 2532 bc

Giza Menkaure c. 2532 - 2504 bc

Giza Sahure c. 2487 - 2477 bc

Abu Sir Neferirkare Kakai c. 24 77 - 2467 bc

Abu Sir Nyuserre Ini c. 24 16 - 2392 bc

Abu Sir Amenemhat I c. 1991 - 1962 bc

Lisht Senusret I c. 1971 - 1926 bc

Lisht Senusret II c. 1897 - 1878 bc

el-Lahun Amenemhat III c. 1860 - 1814 bc

Jim Heitmeyer . Author . Writer . Graphics designer