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The
Building of the Pyramids
Despite
the fact that many think that a pyramid was constructed
at the pleasure of a king, they actually served a major
role for the Egyptians and their worship. That role was
that the pyramid was their way of shoring and demonstrating
their dedication to their religion.
The time in which pyramids were built is referred to as
the Pyramid age. Egyptian history is divided into several
periods including the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms. The
period in which pyramids were constructed was the Old
Kingdom, between 2700 and 2200 BC. Pyramids served as
royal tombs and temples, specifically made for individual
kings. These man made mountains were four- sided.
Construction could not begin right away, though. The pharaoh
plotted and picked out where he wanted the pyramid to
be. Also, he had to make sure that there was a sufficient
number of workers available at the time to build his pyramid.
If there was, he hired thousands of men. But, they could
not start right away on the pyramid. There were many other
things that needed to be constructed too. Before the dead
pharaoh was brought into the pyramid, he had to be mummified,
and a whole temple was dedicated for this purpose. It
was known as the temple valley. The temple and pyramid
needed to be joined together, to transport bodies and
other various things, so a causeway was constructed. Priests
and nobles needed a place to worship and praise the gods,
because worship was the reason pyramids were built. Without
worship, pyramids would be pointless. Therefore, another
small mortuary temple was constructed. The Queen would
have her own small pyramid built alongside the main pyramid,
called the Queen's Pyramid. Lastly, there was the tomb.
This was the central focus of the pyramid. It contained
the King and all his buried belongings.
After the outline and plan were approved, construction
started. Since pyramids were mainly constructed during
the flood seasons of the year, most Egyptian farmers were
more than happy to leave their farms and work for the
King. The workers began excavating and plotting land,
no easy task. It took time to find the right place to
build most pyramids. It was very important to make sure
that a perfect building point was found, because then
they would have to start a process that would take at
least 15 years. The men were divided into groups. They
were paid in water, food, and clothes. Stonecutters made
huge limestone blocks and boulders into squares and all
other types of shapes to fit into the pyramid tightly.
Surveyors were workers who oversaw the whole project and
told their bosses what was needed or what could be improved.
Masons were closely associated with the stone cutters
because they used tools to perfect the stone. Foremen
lead the groups. Carpenters helped design the interior
of the pyramid.
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Mortar
Makers helped with interior construction. To make limestone
and rock transportation and organization easier, quarries
were formed. Workshops and barracks were also created. Sometimes
the quarries were on the other side of the Nile River, so
boats were used to transport the rock. They were all made
of stone, copper, and dolderite, with wooden handles.
Some of the tools that were needed were
chisels, mallets, dolderite balls, hammers, polishing stones,
trowels, drills, saws, Adze, and carpenter chisels.
The architectural outline was rather complex. To build the
pyramid, the workers devised ingenious designs for efficiency.
To make building easier, the workers built the pyramid in
layers. They made a ramp that spiraled around the pyramid
so rocks could easily be dragged upward. The ramp was largely
made from earth, so removing it was easy. The ramp was made
steeper and longer as each layer was completed.
Inside the pyramids, there are large and unique galleries.
Many paths lead to dead ends and abandoned chambers. Usually
the king is intact in his sarcophagus. Also, there was a good
chance all of the riches and red granite rocks were stolen.
The inside of the pyramids make them unique. They have galleries
so immense, that one could get lost in minutes. Unfortunately,
around 1000 BC, every pyramid was looted. The Great Pyramid
does in fact show with evidence that people have ventured
into it. Napoleon (a French army leader) and his explorers
ventured into the pyramid around the 1800's. All the limestone
is blackened from the torches they carried.
The Egyptians were perhaps one of the most religious and dedicated
people of the Ancient World. Their religion and culture was
complex. They worshiped gods and pharaohs. Pharaohs would
become gods, but not until they were dead. Pharaohs were rich
and very powerful. They could do almost anything. Egyptians
would have done mostly anything the pharaoh said. Disobeying
the pharaoh was not only disrespectful, but against their
religion. All Egyptians worshiped the pharaohs. Pharaohs told
the people what was needed or what had to be done. The pyramids
were the people's way of showing their religious devotion.
In some way, shape or form the average Egyptian contributed
to some type of pyramid building, whether it was actual construction,
or providing water for the workers. Pharaohs wanted eternal
happiness and pleasure. They thought the best way to show
this was to build a pyramid.
This was the main reason why pyramids were constructed. Perhaps,
it was the Egyptians way of showing off, or merely showing
how intelligent they were for their time. Some even believe
grains were stored in them. It is possible, but highly unlikely.
Kings didn't want to show off, or exploit their masterpieces.
Pyramids were and are perhaps the most advanced and unbelievable
monuments of the ancient and current world, and after reviewing
the facts, there is no way one could prove this wrong.
"Time laughs at all things, but Pyramids laugh at time."
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