Ancient Egypt and Pyramids

Ancient Egyptian civilization has a character that is unlike any other past civilizations, yet there is still so much that remains undiscovered. For many years people have been fascinated with this culture, but they have also struggled to understand and comprehend what the hieroglyphs were showing, how people from so long ago could build such things as enormous pyramids, what the significance of many of the temples and statues were, and why people were mummified and placed in such elaborate tombs. Since then, they have done more research and have more knowledge about this astounding civilization. We may never know all of their mysteries, but it is definitely worthwhile to continue studying.

One major part of Egyptian culture, the Nile which is the longest river in the world and flows from the East African highlands into the Mediterranean, has been depended upon by Egyptians for many centuries. It is a rich source of fertile soil for their array of crops. Along with transporting different commodities, the river was also used to transport people between villages and used as means of communication. Overall, the Nile has been an integral part of Egyptian culture.

In ancient Egypt, literacy seemed to be key, as it led to a whole range of knowledge, which when conveyed through writing brought a sort of power. The main places where Egyptians learned were temples, which often contained extensive libraries. Some children of the higher class would be educated in the palace, while most children were taught at home by their parents. Egyptian literary forms often belonged in recitation and performance, rather than individual reading, and they'd often be composted in short lines for recitation.

Ancient Egypt's greatest monuments are its pyramids, extremely large in size. The Great Pyramid of Khufu contained some 92 million cubic feet of stone and had an original height of 480 feet and a base width of 755 feet, but the size of pyramids seemed to slowly decrease. This is said to have happened because of economic necessity. The massive labor force to build a pyramid was under the direction of one man, the Overseer of All the King's Works. His first decision was where the pyramid was to be located, then he had to establish the quarry, the supply ramp, the pyramid harbor, an the settlement for the thousands of workmen.

The first pyramid, the famous Step Pyramid, is said to have been designed by the famous architect Imhotep. He being a non-royal Egyptian, is one of few to become a legend. He was renowned in Egypt for constructing the Step Pyramid for centuries. Educated Egyptians considered Imhotep a great wise man long after his death. Some Egyptians even referred to him as a god, often of wisdom and medicine. They built a hapel of Imhotep at Philae and worshiped him at the healing temple, Asklepion, in Memphis.

At the Giza Plateau, lays the Great Pyramid of King Khufu, the pyramid of King Khafre, and the pyramid of King Menkaure, In ancient times, Khufu's was thought by those who saw it that he must have employed inhuman methods to build it, and so, later began his reputation as a trant who was so obsessed with completing his pyramid that he even seized temple property and forced his own daughter to work in a brothel.

Khufu's pyramid contains three burial chambers. The first burial camber lies in bedrock beneath the pyramid. The second is the "Queen's Chamber," and the final is the "King's Chamber." The Great Pyramid is a centerpiece of an elaborate complex, including a few small pyramids, five boat pits, a mortuary (upper) temple, a valley temple, a causeway, and a mastaba cemetery for officials and some members of the royal family.

Khafre's, Khufu's son's, pyramid has two chambers, an open courtyard, a causeway connecting mortuary and valley temples, and five boat pits. The Great Sphinx, whose location in relation to Khafre's mortuary complex, seems to be carefully chosen. The Sphinx, which has the body of a lion and the head of a king, is also said to have the features of King Khafre.

The three pyramids at Giza, built in the Fourth Dynasty, were made of solid limestone, but the design changed in the Fifth Dynasty, as pyramids were then built of rubble, debris, and mud brick. in limestone casings. The result now is that their state of preservation is generally poor. Although it has been said that this change is because of economic issues, it seems unlikely the pharaohs of the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties were more lavish than those before them.

After much researching of the pyramids and other ancient Egyptian architecture, there is still much more to be known. So much of this marvelous culture has had people baffled for centuries, and continues to do so. We may never know the truths behind much of this past civilization - incomparable to any others, but it will never stop teaching us and fascinating us.

Works Cited:

Silverman, David P. Ancient Egypt. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2003.

"Egypt Pyramids-- Facts, Photos, Diagrams." National Geographic. 2004. 12 Dec. 2004 .

Winston, Allen. "The Pyramid of Khufu at Giza in Egypt, an Introduction." Tour Egypt. 2003. 12 Dec. 2004 .