Shrouded in rumors and legends, the pyramids at Giza, Egypt are the last remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Since the early days of Western exploration of the sites, elaborate booby traps and vast stores of golden treasures have birthed stories of curses, unexplained deaths and injuries. While archeologists understand why the pyramids were constructed, many questions about their history, composition and structure remain unsolved.
Who Built the Pyramids?
Many movies, books and other works of historical fiction centering around life in ancient Egypt -- particularly the oft reimagined biblical story of Moses -- depict the pyramid builders as slaves. Although it has been documented that ancient Egyptians employed slaves or servants, modern archeological research shows that Egyptian workers actually constructed the pyramids.Villages and remains of pyramid workers have shed light not only on the ethnicity and sex of the workers, but also on the amenities available to workers. Workers' villages included not only craftsmen relating to the pyramid's construction but also cooks, bakers, priests and medicine men.
When Were They Built?
Though the pyramids are one of the most recognizable symbols of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, these immense, complex tombs were only built during distinct portions of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The first known pyramid, the Step Pyramid of Djoser, has been dated to around 2630 B.C during the third dynasty, and most of the larger pyramids, including the Pyramids of Giza, were constructed shortly after, with the Great Pyramid being built around 2530 B.C. After this initial burst of building, pyramid construction stopped entirely at the end of the sixth dynasty, around 2200 B.C. During the 12th to 14th dynasties, between 2000 B.C. and 1700 B.C., pyramid building experienced a brief renaissance, though the results were not as monumental as the earlier period.
How Were They Built?
One of the enduring mysteries of the pyramids centers around how they were constructed. The fact that they have endured for more than 4,000 years is testament enough to their sound construction, but archeologists and structural engineers also marvel at the precise sizing of the individual blocks. Archaeologist believe the limestone blocks were quarried and shaped using copper chisels, the hardest metal known to the Egyptians at that time. While films often depict thousands of workers carrying or pulling the limestone blocks, which weigh an average of 2.5 tons, the blocks were typically floated from the quarry sites to the construction locations during the frequent Nile River floods.
What Are They Made Of?
For centuries of Egyptology scholars, the physical composition of the pyramids had never been questioned. Elements that shouldn't be present in limestone or occur naturally at the site were dismissed as remnants of renovation efforts. As structural science and analytical tools advanced, archeologists began to notice compositional anomalies in the pyramids that were increasingly difficult to reconcile. In 2006, Michel Barsoum, a materials engineering professor at Drexel University, undertook extensive chemical and X-ray analysis of both external and internal sections of the pyramid stones. His results that some portions of the pyramids are actually made from concrete, not stone are slowly upending the popular image of large groups of workers painstakingly pushing the stone blocks up the sides of the pyramids.
- Smithsonian Magazine: Journey to the Seven Wonders
- Harvard Magazine: Who Built the Pyramids?
- National Geographic: Eqypt Pyramids - Facts, Photos, Diagrams
- National Geographic: Egypt - Step Pyramid of Djoser, Saqqara
- The British Museum: A Timeline of Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
- Lonely Planet: Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in Egypt
- Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images