Egyptian Pyramids By Victoria Stamato
Table of Contents What are pyramids……………………………………………………………………………………………....2 Building Pyramids...............................................................................................................................…...3 Building Techniques…………………………………………………………………………………………...3 Different Pyramids……………………………………………………………………………………………..4 Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
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Have you ever wondered why and how Egyptians built pyramids? Pyramids aren’t just there to see. They are for tombs of mummies. Pyramids took a long time to make, and they were made by hand. There are many different pyramids in Egypt. Keep reading to find out more.
The Great Pyramid
Have you ever wondered why Egyptians built pyramids? Each pyramid was for a tomb for a pharaoh to bring him eternal life. In the tombs are the mummies of the pharaoh or Egyptian king. They were built 80 feet underground, to protect them from tomb robbers. There were also different chambers and passages in the pyramids. Above the King’s chamber, there were 5 rough chambers. There were no doors in pyramids because the Pharaoh wouldn’t need them in his journey to the underworld. At the end of each pyramid was a Valley temple. Some experts believe that the Valley Temple is where the funeral began. Archaeologists aren’t sure if the Valley Temples exist because none are still here today, but they think there was Valley Temple because other pyramids had them. Pyramids brought the mummy to the afterlife.
Fact BoxOnce a life sized statue of Zoser was found in his pyramid.
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Building a pyramid was a long process. The builders had to mark the perimeter in the sand. They put the blocks together so tightly, you couldn’t slip a knife between them. Each of those blocks weighed an average of 5,000 pounds, so pyramids could weigh up to 6.5 million pounds! Each block was waist high. To pull the blocks, the Egyptians built ramps and pulled the blocks up it, as the pyramids got bigger, the ramps got bigger, too The whole process could take over 20 years to complete, even though there might be 20,000 workmen to build a large pyramid. Most people were famers, but people used to think the workers were slaves. The architects were experienced men.
Fact BoxThe Great Pyramid for Pharaoh Khufu was the tallest building in the world, until The Eiffel Tower was built.
The Egyptians had different techniques for building pyramids. The Egyptians made pyramid over 5,000 years ago, at first the they tried to make pyramid with flat sides but they didn’t keep making them like that. Pyramids were triangular because the Egyptians believed the earth used to be all water, but a mound of the earth rose from the depths. Each side was a perfect triangle and those 4 sides so they face North, South, East, and West. The workers dragged the stones up a ramp they build. In the pyramids there was a tomb with the mummy and the mummy’s treasure. When the pyramid was almost done, a special block covered in shinning metal (ether gold or electrum) was put on the top of the pyramid. A step pyramid was a pyramid that has a large square base and the next is smaller and so on, and the other ones have sides that look flat. Fact BoxThe Great Step Pyramid built for Pharaoh Djoser was built nearly 4,700 years ago and is the oldest large building still standing.
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Each pyramid has an interesting story behind it. There were about 90 pyramids in Egypt, and most are still standing. Pyramids can also be found in The Middle East, Central America, and South America, not just Egypt. All of the pyramids in Egypt were built west of the Nile River. The Great Pyramid in Giza is 1 of the 7 wonders in the world. It was made for Pharaoh Khufu. It made out of 2.5 million stones and weighs about 6.5 million tones! There is a room under The Great Pyramid that is still a mystery. There are 3 small pyramids by it and it is for Pharaoh Khufu’s 3 wives. The Sphinx is a pyramid with the head of a woman, but body of a lion. Each pyramid is different from each other.
Nubian Pyramids are much steeper than Egyptian pyramids.
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Each pyramid is unique in its own way. They hold tombs for king and took a long time to build. They were built nearly 5,000 years ago, and they are each very interesting to learn about. Think about building them with no technology. Some pyramids are still here today, and that proves how well they were built.
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Glossary archaeologist-Someone who studies prehistoric people and their culture. causeway-A paved pathway. electrum-A metal that is a mixture of gold and silver. Nile River-The world’s longest river that flows through Egypt. perimeter-The continuous line forming boundary of a closed geometric figure. pharaoh-An Egyptian king. Step Pyramid-A tall, pyramid-shaped structure made of increasing smaller levels of steps. The Great Pyramid-The largest pyramid in Egypt. tomb-A large vault typically for burying the dead. tomb robbers-Grave robbery.
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Bibliography Geographic, N. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2013, from National Geographic: www.NatinalGeographic.com Hyman, T. (2005). Pyramids. Farmington Hills: Wonders of the World. Museum, B. (n.d.). Ancient Egypt. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from Pyramids: www.ancientegypt.com Simon, S. (2002). Pyramids and Mummies. New York: See More Readers. Taplin, S. (2002). Mummies and Pyramids. New York: Usborne Discoveries.
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