Archeology: Building of the Egyptian Pyramids - Research Paper Example

? Archeology: Building of the Egyptian Pyramids Introduction The Egyptian pyramids are massive structures anciently buildin various locations across Egypt. The pyramid-shaped masonry constructions were built to host the kings (Pharoahs) and their consorts when they died (Lehner 41). It is widely believed that the monumental structures were constructed during the old and middle kingdom eras. The Egyptian pyramids have been of great interest to the world with historians, architects, religious groups and other parties making various acclamations in their interest. In particular, the great Pyramid of Khufu located in Giza remains of interest considering that it is the largest of the structures and the only standing among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. For a long time the question of how the pyramids were built has been subject of contentious debate. While some quarters believe that they were build by aliens, mostly slaves, recent architectural findings reveal that these structures were built of people out of bondage; Egyptians themselves. This paper discusses in light of architectural findings who took part in building the noble structures. Background to the Egyptian Pyramids Ancient Egyptians held the belief that whenever any one of their kings passed on, they were transformed into gods. When a pharaoh died, he became Osiris and continued with his duties as king, this time round his subjects being the dead. The new king would become the sun god’s protector and god of the heavens as noted by Quirke (118). The new king would become god Horus (Quirke 118). The ancient Egyptians believed that when a pharaoh died, a part of his spirit would stick to his body as noted by (National Geographic par 9). Without proper care, the fallen king would not be able to conduct his royal duties in his new capacity as king of the dead. The people believed that disaster would befall the kingdom if the king was not properly taken care of even in death. In a bid to prevent this from happening, the fallen kings would be mummified and buried with a lot of items for their use in the new kingdom. The dead kings were sheltered in tombs or pyramids to provide shelter and protection to the king’s soul that rested in his corpse. Previous Belief that Pyramids were built by Slaves The structures of the ancient Egyptian pyramids are wondrous considering their size, shape and accuracy. It is estimated that between 20,000 and 100,000 workers were involved in the construction of the pyramids. The pyramids were constructed over a period of 80 years, most of the work being accomplished during times of flood. For a long time in the past, it was widely believed that aliens were involved in the heavy work of building the Egyptian pyramids. The work even by today’s standards is heavy considering that the workers had to move about 5.5 million tons of stone (Shaw par 1). Some of the stone blocks weighed as much as nine tons (Shaw par 1). Previously, it was believed that slaves of Jewish antecedents serving a hostile Pharaoh were engaged in building the structures as opposed to the bondless Egyptians. This notion has been propagated by the Judeo-Christian tradition and popularized by video productions such as The Ten Commandments as directed by Cecil Mille (Shaw par 1). In the video, Jewish slaves are driven to work by whip wielding Egyptian slave drivers in the scotching heat of the sun. The idea of slave builders was first suggested by an ancient Greek historian by the name of Herodotus (The Associated Press par 2). The previous belief that the pyramids were built by slaves is based on the common belief that people loyal to the kingdom could not have been subjected to forced labor and oppression to the extent involved in the construction of the monuments. In other words, slaves would easily have been pushed to their limits to perform the difficult tasks of building the pyramids without significant loss to the kingdom. However, this notion is currently dispelled in the fact that it undermines the skills involved in the work and the exploits of Egypt’s ancient civilization. Furthermore, historians and archeologists argue that the Jews had not been enslaved by the Egyptians at the time when the pyramids were constructed going by geological analysis. Archeological Indications of Pyramids Built by Free Egyptians Recent studies have suggested, in contrast to past beliefs, that the Egyptian pyramids were in fact constructed by bondless Egyptian. On 11 January, 2010, archeologists working in the pyramid sites discovered new tombs believed to have been used for burying the workers who participated in the construction of the royal structures. The archeologists unearthed a set of tombs containing skeletons of pyramid builders and containers of bread and beer for their use in the afterlife. Archeologists argue that slaves building the pyramids would not ordinarily be given the kind of honorable treatment that the corpses found received at death. The corpses were found buried with their heads pointing to the west as their feet were oriented eastward as was customary in ancient Egypt. Furthermore, the non-mummified bodies perfectly preserved by the desert environment were unearthed in tombs stationed close top the pyramids that they are believed to have been building. The skeletons found have signs of a life lived in hard labor and suffering from arthritis. The archeologists in respect to these findings note that the builders were poor Egyptians from the south and north laboring in appreciation of their tasks in continuing the life-and-death cycle of the kings for the kingdom’s glory. The 2010 findings are a reinforcement of earlier (1990) findings that revealed the discovery of a dozen skeletons. Similar to the 1990 findings, the later tombs were located beside the king’s pyramid (The Associated Press par 5). Archeologists interpret this to mean that the people buried in the tombs were not slaves but free workers. It would not be possible to have alien slaves buried next to the king’s pyramid. The earlier findings also bear graffiti with words such as “friends of Khufu” which means that those buried in the tombs pledged allegiance to the king and were close to him than alien slaves could be (National Geographic par 9). Conclusion The Pyramids of Egypt today remain a wonder to the modern world. The Khufu pyramid in particular is of significant interest to archeologists, historians, Egyptologists, and other academicians. The pyramids were formally believed to have been built by slaves who were alien. This notion is supported by the fact that the builders were subjected to heavy labor and suffered from diseases such as arthritis. Yet again, some quarters believe that the pyramids were built out of skills that came from beyond the borders of Egypt. However, these notions have been discredited by recent archeological findings from tombs that hosted the corpses of the pyramid builders. The builders were buried next to the king’s pyramid and treated in line with ancient Egyptian customs in respect of dead noble people. Furthermore, the graffiti found in the tombs give an idea of the relationship that the builders had with their king. In addition, archeologists interpret the distance between the king’s tomb and the builders tomb to mean that they could not be slaves given that they were buried near the massive structure. As can be seen from the discussion presented above, archeological findings can change previous thoughts about cultures, religions, places and people. In this case, previous beliefs about the construction of the Egyptian pyramids have changed due to recent findings. Works Cited Lehner, Mark The Complete Pyramids, London: Thames and Hudson. 1997. Print. National Geographic. Introduction To Pyramids. 1996. March 1, 2012. Web. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html Quirke, Stephen (2001). The Cult of Ra: Sun Worship in Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. Print. Shaw, Jonathan. Who Built the Pyramids? Harvard Magazine. July-August 2003. March 1, 2012. Web. http://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/who-built-the-pyramids?page=all The Associated Press. Egypt: New find shows slaves didn't build pyramids (Update). 2010. March 1, 2012. Web http://www.physorg.com/news182335053.html Appendix 1: Pyramids of Egypt Appendix 2: Photo taken on Jan. 11, 2010 shows a skull in the tombs belonging to the workers who built the great pyramids in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. [Xinhua] Courtesy of China Daily Appendix 3: Journalists visit the tombs belonging to the workers who built the great pyramids in Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, Jan. 11, 2010. [Xinhua] Courtesy of China Daily Read More