[ShadowSot]

The pyramids of Egypt, among which is the Great Pyramid at Giza, the last surviving of the original Seven Wonders of the World, as recorded by Antipater of Sidon.

Despite what is now little more than ruins of a once great civilization and empire, the pyramids still dominate the minds of many. Most who visit them are awed by their scale, that what is considered today a primitive civilization could construct such landmarks before their civilization even adopted the wheel.

However, the pyramids did gradually evolve, before taking on the appearance we associate them with today.

Mastabas, squat brick buildings, were the clear starting point of the design of the pyramids. Primarily built with the walls leaning inwards, initially they were built with sun dried mud bricks initially, and then later construction moved to bricks made from rock. Though mud bricks continued to b a cheap source of building material.
The earliest of these buildings are found at Abydos, and despite giving way to the pyramids, wer built for the royal and elite of Egypt from pre-dynastic times up to the fourth dynasty.


The last mastaba built at Abydos was the tomb of Khasekhemwy, the final king of Egypt's second Dynasty.


The first step towards what we recognize today as pyramids were the step pyramids, the first of which was constructed for Djoser, the third king of the Third Dynasty of Egypt.
Imhotep, not to confused with a marauding mummy of the same name, Djoser's chancellor, and a verifiable genius.
He was a physician, a architect, and a engineer. His official title was "Chancellor of the King of Egypt, Doctor, First in line after the King of Upper Egypt, Administrator of the Great Palace, Hereditary nobleman, High Priest of Heliopolis, Builder, Chief Carpenter, Chief Sculptor and Maker of Vases in Chief," and I dare you to say all of that five times fast.

Imhotep is credited with the design of the first step pyramid in Egypt. Though, ziggurats were already built in Sumer, so it might be possible that he was inspired by these monuments.


*Consider this a place holder, as it took from 8 in the morning, to 5 in the afternoon to get this far due to work today.

[Tin Foil Princess]

Geopolymer Institute also said this -

" The Pyramids at Giza have more than 5 million blocks of limestone, until now believed to be CARVED stones,
new evidences shows they were CAST with agglomerated limestone concrete."


It is hard for me to imagine the man-power behind the making of a pyramid , it is amazing. Lime -stone , or mud , what have you
it has to get heavy ?

[ShadowSot]

Quote

It is hard for me to imagine the man-power behind the making of a pyramid , it is amazing. Lime -stone , or mud , what have you
it has to get heavy ?

Can't say I buy the concrete theory, to much evidence in the form of quarries, stones left on a trail from and to the quarry, differing sizes of the stones, ect.

It was a monumental feet, still would b today, though we don't have the drive.

Also, I sorta meant for this to stay invisible, as it's not finished, and I've had less time to put more together than I thought.

[Caesar]

How long did it take to build the Great Pyramid at Giza?


Neet pictures!

[ShadowSot]

Current belief is around twenty years, and was probably completed after Khufu died.

You should see some of the pics in Mark Lehner's book, some pretty neat stuff with the various digs he's worked personally.

[campfire]

I've always been amazed at how they could lift those blocks of stone that high.

[ShadowSot]

Probably didn't do much lifting, really.
There are two ramp theories at the moment, on goes that there was a series of exterior ramps which led up to the pyramid, and there is evidence of ramps at all of the major pyramids.
A newer idea that they used a internal ramp, which also has some supporting evidence, but I havn't read the details on that idea.

[Tin Foil Princess]

ShadowSot, on 19 January 2010 - 11:50 AM, said:

Probably didn't do much lifting, really.
There are two ramp theories at the moment, on goes that there was a series of exterior ramps which led up to the pyramid, and there is evidence of ramps at all of the major pyramids.
A newer idea that they used a internal ramp, which also has some supporting evidence, but I havn't read the details on that idea.

I never thought of an indoor ramp system.....

[lovingsoul]

They are rethinking the time line on how long it took them to build the Great Pyramid of Gaza...theres a few scientists that are saying if it took 20 years then they had to of corry huge block and get it to the site in 9 sec each for them to finish in 20 years. Thats not including the precision that it took to put them together and to have it smooth inside like it is...they say its like smooth as glass..and so precise that we need a computer to do it today. Couldnt do it by hand.

In my opinion I still kinda think they used sound to move those huge blocks. I dont know about how they did it with the precision of it all tho. I have always as many been fascinated with Egypt and all its wonders.

[ShadowSot]

It took around twenty years to stack the rocks.
There's not much precision to it, they just stacked the rocks in smaller layers as they went up.
The only precision that went on was as they put up the limestone covering, but the interior limestone was only leveled every 15 or so layers, and there are a number of pockets in the pyramids that are filled in with rubble or hollow.
The interior was well polished, but the main spot I can remember being polished is the sarcophagus.
Limestone is a very soft stone, not something that can be polished. And they certainly didn't polish the interior stones of the pyramid.

If you want to read up on Egyptian stoneworking techniques, here's a decent link: Ancient Egyptian Stone Working

It's mostly about how they worked vases, but the same techniques were applied in larger projects.


I'm beginning to understand why Zahi Hawass stated the pyramids were just a bunch of rocks...
The temple complex surrounding the pyramids were more complex, though the pyramid are still amazing achievements.
Both Mark Lehner, a major Egyptologist, and Craig Smith, a engineer who examined the pyramids, were more impressed with the organization that went into constructing them, and what it showed of their culture, than the structures. (Though they are also extremely impressed by the structures.)