Did you know that the Great Pyramid of Giza was
the tallest structure in the world for 3,000 years?
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The Great Pyramid of Giza, located in the Giza plateau near the modern Egyptian city of Cairo,
is the last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The pyramid was built over
a 20-year period during the reign of Khufu, who was king between 2589 and 2566, during
the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt. The Great Pyramid of Giza was the tallest man-made structure in the
world for over 3,000 years; up until the Lincoln Cathedral spire in England which was built in
1300 CE. The pyramid is 146 meters or 479 feet high and with a base of 230 meters or 754 feet.
The monumental structure was built with over two million blocks of stone
with some of them reaching pretty huge sizes and weights.
In 1880 CE, the British archaeologist Sir Flinders Petrie excavated the site using modern techniques
and scientific analysis and set the standard for meticulous and detail-oriented archaeological
operations in Egypt and more specifically at Giza. The function and purpose of the pyramid
has been theorised continuously but the most widely accepted reason for its construction
is as a tomb for a king, although exactly how the pyramid was built is still a bit of a mystery.
There is a theory of ramps running around the outside of the structure in order to
move the blocks, and with the new discoveries of a sophisticated ramp system at an ancient alabaster
quarry at Hatnub, this theory is still one often discussed by scholars and although the evidence
that the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids with their own technological innovations is continuing
to grow, some still seem to believe that it was through extraterrestrial involvement that these
monumental architectural feats were built. What is far more likely is that the technological means
the ancient Egyptians used were common for them so they felt no need to document the process,
still the intricacy of the interior passages, shafts and chambers, along with the mystery of how
they were built and their orientation to cardinal points still fuels some people's misguided
fringe theories. Another theory of the pyramid's construction is that they were built on the backs
of slaves. Contrary to the popular belief that Egyptian structures and in particular the Pyramids
of Giza were built by Hebrew slaves, there is no evidence of any kind whatsoever from any era
of Egypt's history that supports the narrative events described in the Biblical Book of Exodus.
Instead, the pyramids were built by Egyptians who were hired for their skills. Even workers' houses
have been discovered and were fully documented by Egyptologists Lehner and Hawass in 1979 CE,
even before these workers' homes were found, there is ancient Egyptian documentation that details
payment to Egyptian workers in exchange for work on state-sponsored monuments.
The oldest pyramid in the world, although not a true pyramid, is the Step Pyramid of Djoser at
Saqqara, which was built by the vizier Imhotep towards the end of the Early Dynastic Period
between circa 3150 and circa 2613 BCE, as an elaborate tomb for his king Djoser. Prior to
Imhotep's grand vision, tombs were made out of mud and fashioned into mounds known as mastabas.
The step pyramid devised by Imhotep was improved upon by the king Sneferu during the Old Kingdom
of Egypt, who wanted to make an even more impressive monument. He had a couple of failures;
namely the Collapsed Pyramid at Meidum and the Bent Pyramid, but he learned from his
mistakes and eventually built the first true pyramid in Egypt - the Red Pyramid in Dahshur.
The kings of the Fourth Dynasty became known as the 'pyramid builders' because they were able to
command the enormous resources required to build pyramids since they were working with a stable
central government and had acquired a surplus of wealth through trade. Upon the death of Sneferu,
he passed this strong government and wealth to his son Khufu, and he really hit the ground
running on the construction of his grand tomb. Khufu decided to build his pyramid
at the Necropolis of Giza since there were no other monuments to compete for attention.
Credited with both the design and the building of the Great Pyramid was Khufu's nephew and vizier
Hemiunu, who probably learnt all about what went into constructing a pyramid from his father
Nefermaat, Khufu's brother and Sneferu's vizier. There are surviving written letters, reports and
diary entries that firmly place the building of the Great Pyramid during Khufu's reign,
but not a single one of these written records hints towards the actual construction of the
monument. Obviously, both great skill and technology would be required to create
such a large perfect shape and modern theories still continue to fall back to the ramp theory.
Another theory suggested by the engineer Robert Carson is that the pyramid was built using water
power with ramps inside the pyramid as well as hydraulic power from below and hoists above,
since the high water table of the Giza Plateau is right below the monument. Egyptians didn't have
a crane but they did have a shaduf, which was a long pole with a bucket and rope at one end
and counter-weight at the other, which was usually used for drawing water from a well.
Using hydraulic power and hoists, the stones could have been moved around the interior of the pyramid
and would also account for the shafts and spaces inside the pyramid, but really we
just don't know. Once the interior of the pyramid was completed it was covered in white limestone
which would have shone brightly and been visible from every angle and from miles away;
although today the monument is still very impressive, it would have been more so when
it was covered in the limestone. The workers on the pyramid were both skilled and unskilled, with
some working for compensation for their time and others to pay off debt or as community service.
During the period of the year when the Nile flooded, it was impossible to farm the land
so the government provided work on their great monuments to these farmers.
There have been numerous theories regarding what the original purpose of the Great Pyramid was,
which range from fanciful to absurd but knowing the importance of the afterlife to the ancient
Egyptians, it makes sense that the Great Pyramid would be a final resting place for the king - the
mediator between the people and the gods. A very important person such as the king deserves nothing
less than a very important and grand tomb. It has been argued that since no mummies or grave goods
have been found inside the pyramid it couldn't have been made to be a tomb, but that doesn't
account for the common act of tomb-robbing from ancient times right up to the modern-day.
In the 19th century, Egyptologists recognised that the Great Pyramid was in fact looted in antiquity;
probably during the time of the New Kingdom of Egypt between circa 1570 and 1069 BCE,
which was the time in which the Giza Necropolis was replaced as a royal burial ground
by the Valley of the Kings near Thebes. The Great Pyramid wasn't forgotten though since pharaohs
like Ramesses the Great were still greatly interested in the site and he had a small temple
built in front of the Sphinx as a token of honour for his fourth son Khaemweset. Work conducted in
what is known as the Osiris Shaft, as well as some other areas on the site, shows that there
was activity from the 26th Dynasty of the Third Intermediate Period between circa 1069 to 525 BCE,
and into the Late Period between circa 525 and 332 BCE, which means that it was still
an active site throughout Egypt's history, even after the Valley of the Kings had replaced it.
After Khufu died, his son Khafre became king and built his pyramid next to his father's,
and King Menkaure, who came after Khafre, did the same thing. Menkaure and Khafre both added
monuments and temple complexes, including the Great Sphinx of Giza, but these were all
on a smaller scale than that of Khufu's work due to the resources becoming more and more scarce,
so much so that Menkaure's successor Shepseskaf had enough resources to finish Menkaure's pyramid
complex, but couldn't afford his own. Giza was a thriving community and continued to be
considered an important site with funds being allocated for its upkeep, as long as they
were available. Giza had a sturdy economy, housing, shops, temples and a marketplace;
nothing like the modern-day side of Giza, which is an isolated outpost near Cairo.
After the Roman occupation of Egypt, the temples, monuments and pyramids of Giza fell into decline
with the Romans focusing their energy on Alexandria and the abundance of crops the
land offered. The site was more or less neglected until Napoleon and his team of scholars visited
the site while on military campaign, and after Napoleon's work in Egypt, others were inspired
to make their own observations and conduct their own excavations. Excavation of the Great Pyramid
of Giza by Flinders Petrie laid the foundation for any others who followed, up to the present day.
His excavations at the site were careful and he worked to preserve the historical authenticity of
the monument as best as possible. Petrie's basic techniques are still used by archaeologists today.
Why do you think the Great Pyramid was built? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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