Great Pyramid of Giza
Ancient Egypt
2580 through 2560 BC. Fourth dynasty.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the ancient Egyptian pyramids
and is located at El Giza, Egypt
In the Giza pyramid complex, there are also two other major pyramids:
the Khafre and the Menkaure
Beginning construction on 2580 BC,
the Great Pyramid was built for pharaoh Khufu,
son of Sneferu and second ruler of the fourth dynasty, as a tomb.
The Greeks believed that the pharaoh used slave labor to complete the grand project.
However, archaeologists have since discovered that it was built by paid, skilled workers.
These manual laborers lived in a town near the construction site.
The structure consists of an estimated 2.3 million stone blocks, weighing up to fifteen tons each.
These were carried up and down the Nile river from a nearby quarry.
During its construction, a block would have to be set every two and half minutes.
It is unknown how exactly the ancient Egyptians were able to lift the heavy stone blocks
to the top of the pyramid in a time before the wheel was invented.
However, theories suggest that ramps were used with wooden sleds.
When the pyramid was completed 20 years later it stood at 481 feet or 146.5 meters tall.
It had taken 20 to 30 thousand laborers to build the structure
Inside, there are three burial chambers:
the Queen's Chamber
the Grand Gallery
and at the highest point in the center, the King's Chamber,
containing a red, granite sarcophagus.
Most of the Great Pyramid was fully looted for its treasures by the time the New Kingdom began.
The Great Pyramid of Giza is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
and the only one to remain mainly intact.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for more history videos.
Get your copy of Simple History: Ancient Egypt today
Thank you for all your support on the Simple History Youtube channel.
If you enjoy the channel, please consider supporting us at Patreon.