The Great Pyramids of Egypt - Research Paper Example

? The Great Pyramids of Egypt The Great Pyramids of Egypt Introduction As d by Levy (2005), Egyptians pyramids have never beendated accurately. According to her, the dates provided were as a result of chronological history of the kings, and the dates when they came to power and their duration of reign. However, many of the pyramids were constructed in the period known as the old kingdom of Egypt. This is a period during the third millennium BC (Levy, 2005). Having said this, it is very clear that though the dates could have high discrepancies, what are of more importance would be the structural, function and the social history of these great constructions. This paper will focus on this and more so, on the Great pyramids of Giza. The name of the great pyramids is because they constitute the oldest and the largest pyramids in ancient Egypt (Lenher, 1997). They were the first pyramids to be constructed in Egypt by a King called Cheops. Although Cheops was not the first to construct a pyramid, many others including his father Snofru had tried and failed to come up with a perfect pyramid (Verner, 2003). The History – The First Pyramid The history of pyramids can be dated back to the early construction of tombs in Egypt. The construction of the tombs was especially for the burial of the kings and pharaohs of the land. According to Petrie an Egyptologist (Verner, 2003), the pyramids were approximately 280 cubits high and 440 cubits lengthwise. The Pyramids form the greatest wonders of the world today. According to Mendelssohn (1971), the above measurements of the pyramid translate to about a height of 454.5 feet and a length of 755 34 feet. The dimensions brought about the exact relation between the height and length to an accurate 22/7 also known as the ? in mathematics. This accuracy has resulted in questions whether the Egyptians already had a well formed architectural culture, or whether it was by chance. Verner (2003) stated that it did not matter whether they knew the existence of the mathematical ?, the thing is that they used it nonetheless. However, some historians believe that this accuracy could have been deliberate and should therefore not be ignored. According to Petrie, the precision must have been deliberate and included in the design of the builders. The development of the pyramids can be traced back to the culture of the Egyptians. Egyptians were very religious people and believed in many gods. People saw the Pharaoh who was their head as a living god. This respect of the Pharaoh was immense, that the Egyptians believed that they were still ruling over them in spirit form. Hence they were worshipped even in their dead state. The Egyptians believed in life after death. According to them, when a person died, their soul would remain and exist in spirit form called Ka. People believed that Ka would revisit the dead body and dwell in it. As a result of this belief, it was paramount that the body be preserved to entice Ka to come back into the body and dwell forever (Verner, 2003). Since they also believed that life after death was more important and eternal, they treated the dead with great respect and even worshiped them (Verner, 2003). This led to the construction of tombs. Great expense in terms of time and skill went into construction of tombs especially for the Pharaohs. The name of the early tombs was Mastaba (Edwards, 1993). These Mastabas were graves that had slanted walls and flat tops. They formed the embryo for the construction of pyramids. The construction of the stepped pyramids was an attempt to improve these tombs. The formation was through layering of Mastabas forming a pyramid that has steps on the side. There was still dissatisfaction as there was a desire to give the Pharaoh an ultimate resting place where he could be worshipped forever. Since the Kings also had a lot of possessions, which they treasured, there was a need to build bigger tombs to accommodate the possessions. Such constructions allowed for the burial of the Pharaoh. From the stepped pyramid came more attempts to build the pyramids. Common ones are the pyramid of median and the bent pyramid built by King Snofru. People viewed this as imperfect because as the name suggests one of the pyramids looked bent and un-proportional (Edwards, 1993). The images below show the transitions of the attempts to build a pyramid to a perfect pyramid. Figure 1.The stepped pyramid, the median pyramid and the bent pyramid http://www.ancient-egypt.org// The first perfect pyramid was built by King Cheops in a place called Kufu, and which came to be known as the Pyramid of Kufu of Cheops. This pyramid remains the largest pyramid even today. Later his son Chefren built a pyramid next to the one his father had built. This became the second largest pyramid (Verner, 2003). Then Mykeminus son of Chefren built the third pyramid. These groups of pyramids came to be known as the Great Pyramids of Giza. Figure 2.The Pyramids of Giza http://www.ancient-egypt.org// The Social History of the Pyramids The pyramids of Egypt are among the oldest holy structures which were constructed in 2500 BCE. In historical times, many visitors left a description of the Pyramids and the first to examine the Pyramids successfully was Nicholas Shaw in 1971. An astronomy professor, John Greaves, who lectured at the Oxford University, later followed him. Greave scientifically investigated and studied the structure of the Great Pyramid and later published his observations and findings in 1737. This section shall discuss the structure and design of the Pyramids of Egypt (Mendelssohn, 1971). In 1798, engineers of the Napoleon army explored the pyramids after seizing Egypt by defeating the ottoman Turks at the “Battle of Pyramids”. It is them who discovered the corner sockets and the relationship of the Pyramids dimensions and structure with the science of astronomy. In 1817, a seaman from Caviglia who became intrigued by the mystery surrounding the Great Pyramids was convinced that there were still secret passages that had not been unearthed. Although he did not find the secret passage that he thought was there, his findings were insightful on the interior of the pyramids. In 1830, Colonel Vyse made significant contributions in solving the mystery of pyramids with the help of a hundred laborers. He was also able to capture the attention of English astronomer, Sir John Hershal, who believed that the Pyramids in its design and construction were an evidence of great application of mathematics and scientific knowledge. Robert Menzies is credited as being the first to generate interest on the assertion that the Great Pyramids were a result of divine wisdom as it embodied chronology, meteorology, astronomy, mathematics, history and biblical teaching (Mendelssohn, 1971). John Taylor, a gifted mathematician who studied the measurements of the Pyramids concluded that the architect of the Great Pyramids was not an Egyptian either by religion or race. Taylor believed that the measurements and contours’ of the Pyramids passage system chambers, revealed a relationship with the Biblical relationship following historical and prophetic records. However, a Scottish Astronomer Piazzi Smyth together with his wife decided to study the Pyramids in the realm of applied science, spending months inside the Pyramids making scientific measurements (Mendelssohn, 1971). The Great Pyramids stand on the northern edge of Giza Plateau, 198 feet above sea level and extremely east of the Libyan part of the Great Sahara Desert. This positions the Pyramids at the center of all the earth thus equally dividing into two all land in the world. People believed that the architect, who was precise on the orientation of the building to the true north, had a high degree of accuracy. This is because he knew where to find the poles of the earth. The Paris Observatory, which is modern mans best effort, is six minutes of a degree of true north. As it stands today, the Great Pyramids today is off by only three minutes, and this is attributed to subsidence over the 4200 years. This shows that such near perfect orientation achieved by the constructors of the Pyramids is hard to secure despite there being modern astronomical technological equipments. Even the knowledge of the magnetic needle would not have made any difference since it points to the magnetic north, and not the true north. The celestial pole, which is a star, is in line with the polar axis of the earth. This means a projection to the star sphere would actually pass through it ((Mendelssohn, 1971). This was prophesied in the Biblical scriptures, specifically Isaiah 19: 19-20 which says: "In that day shall there be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the Lord. And it shall be for a sign, and for a witness unto the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt" (Bible, 1984). The word pillar when translated in Hebrew is “Matstsebah" which means monument. This shows that the Pyramids have a biblical relationship following the evidence provided in such religious prophetical records. The Pyramids of Giza are the full official name of the Pyramids which when translated in English, and mean The Great Pyramid of the Border. The only exact place that answers the definition of the Pyramids in Isaiah in terms of geography and geometry is exactly where the construction of the pyramids was done. Thirty empire state buildings could occupy the space that the Great Pyramids stand on. Being the largest building in the world, the Pyramids cover over 13 acres of land. The Great Pyramid is an example of solid mass masonry as it has a large square base and four tapering sides the rise to the apex. The socket stones forming the corner base of the Pyramid were sunk into solid rock. The length of the Pyramids measures 755 34 feet while the height is 454.5 feet. This is the equivalent of a modern 48-story skyscraper. The builders did not put a capstone as the top piece on the Pyramid where all the four corners of the building converge (Mendelssohn, 1971). Location of the Pyramids The location of the pyramids has also received a lot of research and analysis. The location of every pyramid is a few miles from River Nile and Cairo (Verner, 2003). The figure below shows the geographical locations of the common pyramids. Figure 3.Map showing location of the Pyramids of Egypt. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramidintroduction.htm#ixzz2l0QSR3yp Structural History Although constructed centuries ago, the pyramids were visited and analyzed by many historians’ architects and mathematicians. All have been trying to analyze the construction of the pyramids and the precision with which these constructions were made. Some of those who have studies the pyramids are Nicholas Shaw; engineers of the Napoleon army (explored the pyramids after seizing Egypt). It is this group that discovered the precision of dimension and astronomy. Others are Colonel Vyse, English astronomer, Sir John Hershaland Robert Menzies (Mendelssohn, 1971). The Great Pyramid has a large square base but does not have a capstone at the top piece. The top piece is where the corners of the pyramid converge at an angle (Mendelssohn, 1971). According to Mendelssohn’ account, the limestone used on the pyramids was soft and smooth. This according to the author would make the pyramids visible at night. The walls acted like huge mirrors reflecting light beams. Pyramids were originally covered with smooth and shiny limestone which made them shine during the day as they reflected the sun rays. The material used also enables people to see the Pyramids as shining stars at night. There are many theories based on research that attempt to show how the pyramids structures came to be. The big question is whether or not there was structural planning and how the construction was done. Lenher (2008) wrote that the average time needed to construct the pyramids would be at least 10 years. He suggested that for it to take this amount of time, then the total project would have used workforce of between 14567 and 40 000 people to construct. According to Lenher (2008), this people were doing everything manually without the help of any machinery. However, Romer (2007) differed with Lenher and approximated that the construction would have taken at least 14 years. Apart from the precision in architectural and engineering, the pyramids also have a precision in placement. Romer (2007) said in her article, that the alignment of the pyramids was to the north by using the transit of two circumpolar stars. The Great Pyramid is the most accurately aligned. Since the pyramid was a burial complex, its design was to achieve the exact purpose. The body of the King would be treated and mummified before burial. The intention of mummification was to prepare the body for the arrival of Ka. After this achievement then the body would be carried through the causeway into the chamber for burial. The kings were buried with their earthly treasures. The sculptures were placed in the grand gallery. The great pyramid has a height of 147 meters. The length of each of its sides is approximately 230 meters. The other pyramid is the second largest measures 216 meters for each of its sides and a height of 143 meters). The third pyramid in the group, which is the small one in this group, has a height of 66metres and each of its sides measures 109 meters. These measurements are the original measurements. According to Edwards (1993), part of the height and length has been altered because of the removal of the outer casings of limestone. This happened when a great earthquake occurred in the 13th century that shook the pyramid. The deformation of the structure was because of the dislodged casing stones. What followed is that neighboring constructors turned the pyramids into mines and removed the casing stones from the pyramids. What remained is what we see today. According to Petrie’s, Egyptians must have leveled the area before construction began. This according to him was by cutting trenches and flooding them with water (Edwards, 1993). Petrie also determined the utilization of two specialized surveying tools. The tools were the market and the bay, which allowed them to be able to draw straight lines and form right angles. It is this alignment that was later found to be in line with the astronomical alignments. Therefore, according to Petrie the Egyptians must have used their knowledge and expertise of the stars to organize and construct the pyramid. The methods used to carry and place the rocks into position have also been an issue of debate. However, many of the Egyptologist have come to the agreement that there is a possibility that the builders used ramps. Even though not any of the ramps has been recovered from the pyramids there, are evidences showing that this could have been the case (Edwards, 1993). The Pyramid of Kufu The Pyramid of Kufu consisted of three elements. There was an antechamber, a burial chamber and a stone sarcophagus. The entrance is a passage approximately 17 meters high and 7.29 meters long. It goes to the antechamber, centre of the pyramid (Lenher 2008). The burial chamber is to the west of the antechamber. The sarcophagus where the body is laid, is also at the end of the burial chamber. The figure below shows the plan of the pyramid.   Figure 4.The Plan Layout of the Pyramid of Kufu http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramidreligion.htm#ixzz2kznrQgSj People viewed the Pyramids as a main milestone in the society and culture of the Egyptians. But there are writers who believe that Egyptians already had an established culture and civilization even before the construction of the pyramids. An example of such a writer is Petrie who analyzed the culture before the pyramids. As already discussed in this paper, it is believed that the culture of the Egyptians may have inspired the construction of the pyramid. The pharaoh was the political and religious head in Egypt society. He was a man of immense power who people believed was a living God (Verner, 2003). Due to this respect, each Pharaoh would build their burial castles. Although these were just supposed to be burial sites and complexes, the issue of power and strength might have crept in. The size and complexity of the pyramid became a sign of strength and power. Therefore, the social standing of the Pharaohs could be expressed in the architecture of the pyramid. As earlier discussed in this paper, the Egyptians respected the dead and the Kings. They were worshiped in their death and this is why many of the pyramids had temples where priests would visit and take care of the Ka. See figure below. Figure 5. Aerial of the Pyramid from the side http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramidintroduction.htm#ixzz2l0QSR3yp As seen from the image, the mortuary temple was always next to the pyramid but due to robberies and looting the mortuary temple was separated from the tomb. This was so that the location of the body and possessions could not be easily found. The valley temple was always close to River Nile because more often than not, it was used as the entrance. The cult pyramid was a small pyramid next to the big one (Lenher, 2008). The pyramids are important to Egyptians because it shows the changes that the country has gone through in religion and culture. The last pyramid, -the Pyramid of Ahmose- marks the end of the pyramid period. The Egyptian literature and writing have also gone through intensive research. Many of the pyramids had symbols on the walls and sculptures of the Pharaohs (Verner 2008). This writing became a great part of Egyptian symbols, which has had an integral effect on religion in the area. Conclusion Egyptian pyramids remain to date as the Seven Wonders of the World. Even though they are not in their original form, this paper has shown how their structure and architectural works are still a focus of research. The wonder of the pyramids form many archeologists, engineers and other disciplines of learning. The structure of the pyramid and their very existence is also a sign of the religion in Egypt, and how the said religion has transformed. There is still need for more research to be done to unearth the science behind the construction of the pyramid. More so, would be the precision with which they were constructed. Other areas of research would be their functions and importance in modern Egypt. References Edwards, I. E. S. (1993). The Pyramids of Egypt. (3rded). London: Penguin Harmonds Worth. Lenher, K. (2008). The complete pyramids. Solving the ancient mysteries. London: Thames & Hudson. Levy, J. (2005). The Great Pyramid of Giza: Measuring Length, Area, Volume, and Angles. London: Rosen Publishing Group. Mendelssohn, K. (1971). A scientist looks at the pyramids: Engineering evidence connected with the building of the great pyramids suggests conclusions that go far beyond the problems of pyramid design. American Scientist, 59 (2), 210-220. Romer, J. (2007). The Great Pyramids and Ancient Pyramids Revisited. Cambridge: University Press. Verner, M. (2003). The Pyramids: Their Archaeology and History. London: Atlantic Books. Read More