All over the world, ancient civilizations built pyramids. There are such structures in America and China, but it is the Egyptian pyramids that remain the most famous, largely due to the fact that they were the first that European researchers encountered.
At first, the ancient Egyptians created stepped pyramids, and only the Red Pyramid in Dakhshur became the first "true" one, that is, smooth-sided. The construction of the pyramids reached its peak during the reign of Pharaoh Cheops, when the Great Pyramid of Giza was built, which happened around 2560 BC.
The last Egyptian pyramid was the pyramid of Ahmose, built in the 16th century BC. So what do we know about the great creations of ancient civilization? Here are the top 5 facts:
1. The first in Egypt was the pyramid of Djoser
The ancient Egyptians buried their dead in graves with items that were supposed to help in the afterlife. They gradually moved on to building tombs called mastabas. Mastabas were flat, roofed, rectangular structures with sloping walls, built of stones or clay bricks. It is believed that the Egyptian architect Imhotep was the first to design a structure in which one mastaba was erected on top of another, creating a stepped pyramid.
The first pyramid is considered to be the pyramid of Djoser, located in Saqqara and built in the 27th century BC. Its architect was Imhotep, and Pharaoh Djoser was buried in it. The pyramid consisted of six mastabas stacked on top of each other.
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2. Under Pharaoh Sneferu, the first smooth pyramid was built
Significant innovations in the construction of pyramids took place during the reign of Pharaoh Sneferu, who was the first pharaoh of the 4th dynasty. At least three pyramids were built under him. One of them, the pyramid in Meidum, became a transitional form between stepped and smooth-sided structures.
Initially, it was supposed to be a seven-stage, but later another tier was added. Then the pyramid was changed again and got close to smooth sides thanks to the use of limestone. The second pyramid of Sneferu is even closer to being smooth-sided, but it has a curved appearance, as it rises from the ground with a slope of 54 degrees, and in the upper section there is an angle of 43 degrees. The third pyramid had a constant angle of 43 degrees and became the first true smooth-sided pyramid.
3. The last known Egyptian pyramid is the pyramid of Ahmose
The pharaohs of the twelfth dynasty again began to build pyramids, but they could not reach the previous scale. Now for the construction of the pyramids, clay bricks were used, rather than stone blocks, and by our time these structures have come down in ruined form with the internal structure preserved. After the pyramids were hardly built, and the pharaohs were buried in the underground tombs of the Valley of the Kings.
The last of the now known Egyptian pyramids is the Pyramid of Ahmose, built for Ahmose the First, the founder of the eighteenth dynasty, who ruled from 1549-1524. BC. There are currently 138 known Egyptian pyramids, and scientists do not rule out the discovery of others.
4. Pyramid workers were well fed and received tax breaks
The construction of the pyramid began by the pharaoh immediately after ascending to the throne. A high-ranking official was appointed to supervise its construction. Contrary to popular belief, slaves were little used in the construction of the pyramids. The main labor force was peasants who received housing at the construction site, as well as clothing, food and tax breaks.
To move the stone blocks, sledges were used, which were harnessed to crowds of workers. In order to reduce the friction of the runners and facilitate movement, the sand in front of the sled was watered with water. The rise of stones on the tiers of the pyramid is believed to have been carried out using a system of ramps. Research into pyramid building methods is ongoing.
5. Egyptian pyramids facing north
Egyptian pyramids were built on the west bank of the Nile. As the side where the sun sets, it was associated for them with the land of the dead. The core of the pyramids was built from local limestone, the white variety was used for smooth sides and gave them a shiny look. The main stone of the pyramids was granite and basalt, which were often decorated with gold, silver or their alloy. The ancient builders had the ability to direct the pyramids exactly to the north. Thus, the Great Pyramid is directed to the north with an accuracy of one tenth of a degree. How exactly the ancient Egyptians managed to achieve such accuracy is not known for certain.