egyptian pyramids and tombs
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Egyptian pyramids and tombs. Old Kingdom Egyptians began to build pyramids to house their dead pharaohs There are still 35 pyramids standing near the Nile, and 138 pyramid sites have been discovered. Chronology of pyramids. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS AND TOMBS
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS Old Kingdom Egyptians began to
build pyramids to house their dead pharaohs
There are still 35 pyramids standing near the Nile, and 138 pyramid sites have been discovered
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS Before pyramids, Egyptians
constructed bench-like structures called mastabas to house the bodies of deceased pharaohs
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS The first pyramids to emerge were
step pyramids
This design was conceived by the architect Imhotep
Served as a stairway for the deceased pharaoh to climb to the afterlife
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS At the end of the Old
Kingdom, around 2600BCE, smooth pyramids began to appear
The Red Pyramid was the first, and was constructed as a step pyramid then smoothed in
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS The Great Pyramid of Giza is another
great example, but was constructed to be smooth under orders of Khufu
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS The Great Pyramid and others at Giza
symbolized the absolute authority of the pharaohs because they required a massive labour force and lots of natural resources to be constructed
CHRONOLOGY OF PYRAMIDS At Giza, smaller pyramids housed the
pharaoh’s queen The Great Sphinx is also at Giza and
could have possibly protected the pyramids
WHAT’S WITH THE SHAPE? The pyramid shape could represent the
mound that Amon-Re rose up from in the creation myth
It might also represent the descending rays of the sun
HOW DID THEY BUILD THE PYRAMIDS? Four stages of construction over about
a 20 year period; Planning stage Mining stage Transportation stage Construction stage
WHY DID EGYPTIANS STOP BUILDING PYRAMIDS?
As time went on, power became more decentralized and pyramids lost their grandeur
WHY DID EGYPTIANS STOP BUILDING PYRAMIDS?
Ancient Egyptians started burying their pharaohs in tombs during the New Kingdom
The Valley of the Kings at Thebes includes 60 burial sites including the tomb of Tutankhamun
WHAT WAS INSIDE A PYRAMID? Several chambers, a burial tomb,
and shafts leading from the tomb to the sky
Chambers housed figures called shabti which were intended to help the deceased in the afterlife
WHAT WAS INSIDE A PYRAMID? The tomb itself was littered with spells
written on papyrus, hieroglyphics to provide instructions to the deceased, statues, and copies of The Book of the Dead specific to the deceased
The Book of the Dead contained magic spells which served to guide the deceased in the afterlife
“The lost gods of the Egyptians”