How old are the Egyptian pyramids?
The pyramids are iconic symbols of the power and technological prowess of the ancient pharaohs that still dominate the Egyptian skyline. But when were the pyramids first built? Why was it built in the first place?
The first pyramid in Egypt was built by Pharaoh Djoser, who ruled nearly 4,700 years ago. After more than a thousand years, Ancient Egypt The last pyramid built for a pharaoh was built for Ahmose I about 3,500 years ago. After that, the rulers of Egypt were buried in underground tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
In other words, the ancient Egyptian pyramids were built between approximately 2700 BC and 1500 BC, making the oldest pyramids about the same age as the pyramid. Stonehenge, which was initially built between 4,000 to 5,000 years ago. But the pyramids are much older than other ancient structures, including the Parthenon (447 BC), the Great Wall of China (220 BC), and the Great Wall of China (220 BC). Colosseum (80 m). Neolithic temple Gobekli Tepe In Türkiye, it is older than 11,000 to 12,000 years ago.
Related: Why does the Rosetta Stone contain three types of writing?
The first pyramid of Egypt
Pyramid of Djoser It has six tiers and was originally built as a type of rectangular tomb known today as a mastaba (Arabic for “seat”) before being expanded into a step pyramid.
Ancient inscriptions indicate that a man named Imhotep supervised the construction of the Step Pyramid. “Imhotep is usually considered the first architect in Egypt to build with stone, and he is credited with building the Step Pyramid of Djoser complex” Mark Van de MieroopThe Columbia University history professor told Live Science in an email. Van de Mieroop added, “There is an inscription with his name mixed with that of Djoser calling him the head of the sculptors. In later ancient Egypt he was considered wise.”
Why did the Egyptians build the pyramids?
Researchers are still not sure exactly why the pharaohs chose to use the pyramids for their burial.
One reason may have been to provide additional protection against tomb robbers. In earlier times, looters would pillage the low-rise tombs of the pharaohs by digging from above, Egyptologist says Reg Clark He wrote in his book,Securing Eternity: Protecting ancient Egyptian tombs from prehistoric times to the pyramids(American University in Cairo Press, 2019). The step pyramid, with its six layers on top of each other, would have provided protection from this method, Clark wrote. “Many Egyptologists have suggested that the step pyramid formed a kind of pyramid,” Clark told Live Science in an article. Him: a letter.
Another important innovation was the use of stone to build the Step Pyramid, while the terraces used by the previous pharaohs were made of mud bricks. Clark noted that this was important because the stone is difficult to penetrate.
Religious reasons may also have been an important factor. Miroslav WernerThe professor emeritus of Egyptology at Charles University in the Czech Republic told Live Science in an email that there were “likely religious reasons behind” the idea of building the pyramids.
When Djoser came to power, the influence of sun worship and the sun god Ra was increasing, as Werner wrote in his book “The Pyramids: Archeology and History of Famous Egyptian Monuments(American University in Cairo Press, 2021). Perhaps the growing influence of sun worship led to the desire to build structures that reached higher into the sky. Werner noted that a passage from a text dating back about 4,400 years said, “May heaven make the sunlight strong for you, may you rise to heaven as the Eye of Ra” (translated by Raymond Faulkner).
One question is whether increased interest in sun worship led to the building of the Step Pyramid, or whether the building of the Step Pyramid led to increased interest in sun worship. “Which came first, the egg or the chicken?” Massimiliano NozoloThe researcher at the Institute of Mediterranean and Oriental Cultures of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw told Live Science in an email.
Nozulu believes that interest in sun worship grew after the building of the Step Pyramid. “This amazing architectural project may also have influenced, and in one way or another, prompted a change in religious ideology, which eventually resulted in a greater focus on the solar aspects of the monarchy,” Nozulu said.
Built for a thousand years
Whatever the reasons for building the pyramids, the Egyptian pharaohs built them for more than a thousand years. Pharaoh Snefru (reigned circa 2575 to 2551 BC) built the first true pyramids (flat-sided pyramids) at Dahshur. These consist of the Bent Pyramid (so named because of its unusual angle) and the Red Pyramid (so named for its color). The Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing, was built by Khufu (c. 2551 to 2528 BC) while Khafre (r. circa 2520 to 2494 BC) built another great pyramid, along with the Great Sphinx of Giza.
It is not clear why the Egyptian pharaohs stopped building the pyramids, but security concerns may have been part of that. Although more difficult to plunder than mastabas, Egyptian pyramids were looted in ancient times, and the pharaohs may have hoped that building their tombs in the Valley of the Kings would make them more difficult to plunder. In addition, the topography of the valley has a peak called today the horn (sometimes spelled al-gharn), which looks more like a natural pyramid.
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