...Throughout the history of art, individuals have more than likely held certain beliefs about how or for what purpose a particular piece of art, which encompasses paintings, architecture, and everything in between, was created. In some rare cases, the identity of the builders or artists of a particular work has been called into question due to the fact that interpreters can not fathom how a certain piece of art could have been created by humans. One such piece of art, or more aptly a piece of architecture, that has been subject to this, “Who done it?” question are the Great Pyramids of Giza, located in Egypt. Established during the fourth dynasty of the Egyptian empire, which spanned from 2575-2450 BCE, the construction of these architectural...
Words: 1230 - Pages: 5
...Nile River. I also think about the Great Pyramids, which are considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Have you ever thought about how those things got there? More specifically, have you ever thought of how they built the pyramids? The Great Pyramid of Giza (the pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu) is nearly twice the size of the Statue of Liberty. Many have searched for an explanation to these phenomena but none have come up with an answer that the world can seem to agree on. Countless theories have been produced such as the use of external ramps, the use of a craning system, or the use of a phasing system, among others. What could have possibly...
Words: 1768 - Pages: 8
...Many researchers have done their work to find out who built the Egyptian Pyramids, and how they were built. Did the slaves build the pyramids? Here, we are going to find out. “ The pyramids are remarkable not only for the great technical skill they demonstrate, but also for the concentration of resources they represent” (Craig 11). The pyramids were not all built and designed by the same people. The pyramids were built under the name of pharaoh, meaning the term “great house.” Djoser, a third dynasty king, was the first to build a monumental six-step pyramid of hard stone. Khufu was the son of Djoser was the leader in building the largest pyramid ever constructed, plateau of Giza. It is 481 feet high, 765 feet long on each side, and with the base covering 13.1 acrs. The pyramid is made of 2.3 million stone blocks averaging 2.5 tons each. Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure built the exact same three pyramids at Giza. Beyond that there are over 120 pyramids throughout Egypt. The workers who built the pyramids were Egyptians, not slaves, as many people do believe. Farmers lived in villages made for workers of the pyramids. They built the Pyramids while the nile was flooding. There are three burial chambers in or under the Great Pyramid. The first chamber was built under the Great Pyramid and it was no finish. This was then followed by the Queen's and Kings chambers. These pyramids were built to serve as tombs for kings and queens. After a ruler had passed away, his or her body was...
Words: 459 - Pages: 2
...Mystery of the Pyramids Week 4, Assignment 1 Hum111 Professor Nancy Barlar 3 November 2013 Mystery of the Pyramids There have been many theories regarding how the pyramids at Giza and how they were constructed. Most experts agree that they were constructed as burial monuments for pharaohs, but “how” these ancient people constructed monuments of such great size without modern machinery is a mystery which is still being debated. In the next few paragraphs I will be taking you into a look into the mystery that surrounds this highly debated subject. The Aztecs, Mayans, and ancient Egyptians were three very different civilizations with a span of almost the other side of the world away from each other, but with very large similarities to the way that they built the pyramids. However, out of these three ancient cultures, the Egyptians stand out as the people recognized for the classic pyramid design. Massive monuments with a square base and four smooth-sided triangular sides, raising to a point. The Aztecs and Mayans built their pyramids with tiered steps and a flat top. The Egyptians probably chose the distinctive form of the design for their pharaohs’ tombs because of their solar religion, for the ever associated sun god Ra, which is considered the father of all pharaohs and was said to have created himself from a pyramid=shaped mound of earth before creating all other gods. The pyramid’s shape and standing (location) is thought to have symbolized the sun’s rays...
Words: 1021 - Pages: 5
...Two Theories behind the Construction of the Pyramids of Giza Introduction The Egyptian empire which has been identified to have developed over the last three millennia BCE (Sayre, 2012), is known for several contributions to modern society to include: a formal irrigation system, a form of writing called hieroglyphics, their art and their architecture. The most significant of architectural structures are the Great Pyramids. The basis of the pyramid was the mastaba or mortuary compartment that was customary during the First Dynasty (Ruiz, 2001). Although the Egyptians were architectural geniuses when it came to the Great Pyramids, they did not put the same time and durability into the very homes they lived in. Although pyramids and temples from ancient Egypt still impress us thousands of years after they were built, all that remains of the homes where people were born, grew to adulthood and died are occasional low mounds of mud outlines. Temples and tombs endure because Egyptians made a sharp distinction between their religious architecture, constructed of permanent stone for eternity, and all other buildings, even palaces and fortresses, which were built of less durable adobe (Brier & Hobbs, 2008). Because a significant portion of the pyramids continue to stand today, the mystery behind how the Great Pyramids were actually constructed continues to be a significant topic of discussion for modern society aerologists, architects, engineers, and historians. Since documentation...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...Construction of the Pyramids of Giza RUNNING HEAD: THE MYSTERY OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PYRAMIDS 2 AT GIZA There are many mysteries surrounding our history, especially those of ancient times. It is my belief that a mystery is something that simply can’t be explained and is based off of phenomenon. In regards to the Pyramids at Giza, is it really a mystery or have we as a modern society over looked some things? Have we given our ancestors due credit for their work or do we continue to believe that since they were not as technologically advanced that somehow they weren’t as smart as we are today? The only mystery here is why we can’t fathom certain things of ancient times to have been accomplished. No one as of yet can come up with a viable explanation as to how the Pyramids of Giza were built. How could a structure so big, so wide, be built by men who had yet to advance by our definition of skill? The Great Pyramid at Giza was built for Pharaoh Khufu who ruled during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Such as was practice in the ancient times, Pharaoh Khufu was laid to rest in one of the greatest structures ever known to mankind, The Pyramid at Giza. Great...
Words: 719 - Pages: 3
...construction of The Giza Pyramids. The pyramids are the most exquisite creation in the Egyptian era. Built as burial monuments for Pharaohs. One theory is that the extraterrestrials helped construct the great pyramids, the precise alignment of the stars and the same measurements of each pyramid, there is a huge possibility the aliens indeed did help with the construction of the pyramids. A more realistic theory is that we constructed the pyramids, with wooden planks or their bare hands pushing and tugging the stones into place, we are talking about 2 tons per stone. . Ancient hieroglyphics often represent beings from outer space, the sky opening, and bright lights shining down upon the people. These lights supposedly taught the ancient people technology and gave them the wisdom to construct the pyramids. Many symbols resemble UFO's and aliens. Also how would the Egyptians know how to align the pyramids with Orion's belt. They would have had to use a telescope or the compass to figure this out, but we didn't invent these items until decades later. So the theory of aliens helping the Egyptians in my opinion is a strong and a great possibility. Help from the aliens might explain how people moved stones weighing 2 tons, putting them together going up the pyramid in a precise order. Something that in today's time might need massive machinery to complete. More realistic speaking, the Egyptians themselves build the great pyramids. Many say slaves were gathered, and others say...
Words: 489 - Pages: 2
...wondered how the Great Pyramids of Giza were built? Or how the Egyptians mummified the dead? Or, even simpler, how they lived their daily lives? Well, according to David Macaulay in the book Pyramid, life was fairly simple. Most Egyptians were farmers. Since the Nile flooded for a time from July to November, farmers were drafted for pyramid building since farming was impossible. Pyramids were constructed for a pharaoh so that when he dies, he is mummified and put into a sarcophagus inside the pyramid along with everything else that belonged to him including is pets, servants, and possibly even his wife. But in order for a pharaoh to get his desired afterlife, he has to go through a series of mummification steps. Most...
Words: 878 - Pages: 4
...sublime agriculture built in the name of religion and praise of God and man. Egypt sets it’s self apart from these other places because of the history Egypt agriculture has, the influence the agricultural on many religious followers on many religious fronts today, and the vitality the monuments still have after years of punishment through the elements. The construction of the temples and pyramids in Egypt is a testament to the importance of spirituality to the people of Egypt. Making them an interesting people and the monuments made a remarkable feat to be astonished for many years to come. During the ancient times of Egypt, life began and ended with...
Words: 1492 - Pages: 6
...your assigned page listed by your name. Please be sure to bullet point your prespectives of what you have read to share as a team. PLEASE RESPECT THE DUE DATES FOR EACH PERSON TO REVIEW AS A TEAM Danny: (pages 79-82) Petra: (pages 83-85) Imhotep The Pyramid of Zoser, emerged in the Third Dynasty of the Old Kingdom (c.2700 B.C.) (Boorstin, 1992). Pyramid of Zoser was noticed for the use of masonry casing. Imhotep was a recognized architect and Founding Father of the great Third Dynasty pharaoh Zoser as a patron of writing between c. 2613-2686 B.C. (Boorstin, 1992). Imhotep consulted and inspired scribes prior to writing. He was also inspired by the scribes as “poured a libation to him from their writing jar” (Boorstin, 1992). Two thousand years and centuries after his death as a mythical founder of Egyptian medicine and recognition of a divine status his proverbs are echoed (Boorstin, 1992). After his death devotees prayed for revelations of cures in dreams by honoring Imhotep by building a temple in Memphis on the island of Philae in the Nile. Greeks later recognize Imhotep as their medicine god and named him Asklepios (Boorstin, 1992). Details of the Step Pyramid In Cairo at Saqqara Imhotep’s step pyramid remains the world’s oldest hewn stone (Boorstin, 1992). The rectangular structure of stone is layered on the outside of six steps. The base measures 597 yards north to south and 304 east to west, with a 200 feet height. The...
Words: 1306 - Pages: 6
...There are many theories as to how the pyramids at Giza were constructed. Most experts agree that they were constructed as burial monuments for pharaohs, but “how” these ancient people constructed monuments of such great size without modern machinery is a mystery which is still being debated. The pyramids of Giza are the only surviving Ancient Wonder of the World and one of the most famous tourist attractions in the modern world. They are some of the oldest divine sites in our index and certainly among of the most impressive. The Pyramids of Ancient Egypt were built as tombs for Kings and Queens, and it was the exclusive privilege to have a Pyramid tomb. However, this tradition only applied in the Old and Middle Kingdoms. Today there are more than 93 Pyramids in Egypt; the most famous ones are those at Giza. Even in scientific circuses there are still a lot of theory about how and whom the pyramid was constructed by. According to ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Khufu enslaved his people to build his pyramid. Most of the modern Egyptologists believe it was built instead by tens of thousands of skilled workers, both men and women. There is another theory from Herodotus, which states that machines formed of short wooden planks were used to raise the stones. “After laying the stones for the base, they raised the remaining stones to their places by means of machines formed of short wooden planks. The first machine raised them from the ground to the top of the first...
Words: 492 - Pages: 2
...architecture; the Egyptian pyramids and the great temple of Ammon, Karnak. Design The ancient Egyptian pyramids are pyramid-shaped structures that were built as tombs for Pharoahs. The ancient Egyptians believed that the Pharaohs were chosen by God to serve as mediators between humans and gods, hence they were treated with a lot of respect. After their death, they were buried in pyramid together with their possessions that would be useful to them in their afterlife. The shape was also influenced by the belief that they were “launch pads” for the soul of the dead Pharaoh to the sky to live with the imperishable stars. Others believed the pyramids were a stairway for the souls of the Pharaoh to climb to the sky. There are no existing records of the building plans used to build the pyramids, and as a result most of the design schemes that people have come up with over the years are speculative. Different theories have been put forward as to why they were built in the shape of a pyramid.the most common is that this shape reflects the rays of the sun. In his book The Keys to the Temple, David Furlong (1997, pp ) believed that the ancient Egyptians worked on the plan of the pyramids in the form of a triangle, basing their calculations on the basic properties of a triangle such as equal sides and the angles of an equilateral triangle. He came up with a basic plan of how the pyramid’s plan might have looked through use of basic geometry. See figure 1 Pyramids are believed to have evolved...
Words: 1046 - Pages: 5
...seatbelt, and set the dials for my first stop the Mesopotamian civilization and on this journey, my destination in this civilization will be the Ziggurat of king Urnammu (Nanna), and it is an architectural piece of art. Hey if you get a little nauseas, there is a barf bag in the seat pocket, for the first timers, off we go. The Great Ziggurat of Ur is an ancient Sumerian ziggurat in Dhi Qar Province, Iraq. The Sumerian King Urnammu (Nanna) and his son Shulgi built the ziggurat in approximately the 21st century BC during the Third Dynasty of Ur, in dedication to the moon God Nanna. They were believed to be dwelling places for the gods and each city had its own patron God. Only priests were permitted on the ziggurat or in the rooms at its base, and it was their responsibility to care for the gods and attend to their needs. The priests were very powerful members of Sumerian society. Ziggurats usually found in the center of villages. This structure-constructed in ca. 2500-2050 BCE of sunbaked mud brick. The massive step pyramid measures 210 feet (64m) in length, 150 feet (46m) in width and more than 100 feet (30m) in height. As I walk through the halls of this temple, I believe it reveals that the creator wanted closeness with the God he...
Words: 1856 - Pages: 8
...Bruce Beard Hum:111 01/31/16 The Mysterious Construction of The Pyramids Of Giza The Mysterious Construction of The Pyramids Of Giza The Pyramids of Giza are a great tourist attraction and an even more perplexing ideology of architectural construction. How were these great monuments built? In regarding how the pyramids were constructed, there have been many theories proposed but none have adequate evidence. According to the French engineer Jean Pierre Houdin: The Giza pyramids were constructed in three major stages. In the first stage the first portion of the pyramid building process, Houdin, relies on the conservative Historian standby, “the straight ramp”, to explain the mechanism of how the stone blocks were moved and placed into the monument. The process in which Jean proposes, the straight ramp was slowly constructed up which the ancient laborers dragged over a million and a half blocks that went into the Pyramids reaching the third level of the King Chamber. In an extension to the rising levels the beginning infrastructure of an internal spiral was created twisting around just inside the outer edge of the core masonry. The second stage of construction, Houdin, tries to explain that the purpose for the unique design of the Grand Gallery was solely for aiding in the moving and raising the huge granite blocks that were placed above the King’s chamber. The third stage, is perceived to consist of a...
Words: 677 - Pages: 3
...The Mystery of the Great Pyramid Kimone Campbell Professor Jenna Thrasher-Sneathen Humanities 111 May 1, 2013 There have been many theories regarding how the pyramids at Giza were constructed. Mystery and Magic surrounding them, filling scholars and the public with wonder that presents the following question: How did our ancestors, more than 4500 years ago, build these magnificent structures, and how did they organize the workforce that was necessary for their construction. There are so many theories regarding the construction of the Giza pyramid it is hard to believe one from the ET visitation, to the levitating the blocks with some sort of sound system to the ramps they used and last but not least the slavery or some kind of labor force. Let us explore two of the most talked about theories that I have come across on my research which is the case of the Aliens and the laborers or what could be equivalent for us today some kind of military force. In the case of the Aliens. According to research done by several Egyptologist the pyramid was accurately aligned with points of a compass that only aliens could have achieved that many years ago. The angles of the slopes were precise that only aliens could be thought of to do this since they were not equipped with the mathematically advanced equipment to be so accurate. Also because the blocks were so heavy it would only make sense that the aliens did because man was not equipped with the knowledge or technology to...
Words: 875 - Pages: 4
