_Egyptian Pyramids _
By: Anonymous
Egyptian Pyramids When most people think of Ancient Egypt they think of
Pyramids. To construct such great monuments required a mastery of
architecture, social organization, and art that few cultures of that period
could achieveThe oldest pyramid, the Step-Pyramids, grow out of the
abilities of two men, King Djoser and Imhotep. Djoser, the second king of 3rd
dynasty, was the first king to have hired an architect, Imhotep, to design a
tomb (Time-Life Books, 74). Imhotep was known as the father of mathematics,
medicine, architecture, and as the inventor of the calendar (White, 40). He
had a great idea of stacking mastabas until they reached six tiers, a total of
60 meters high and its base 180 meters by 108 meters (Casson, 118). A
glistening costing of limestone was added to the mastabas that made them
shimmer in the sun. The main feature of the pyramid was its 92-foot
underground shafts and burial room lined with pink granite. It was the first
time that this feature appeared (White, 41). Imhotep surrounded Djosers
pyramid with a number of funerary courtyards and temples. He then, surrounded
these complexes with a mile long protective wall (Time-Life Books, 74).
Another pyramid was Khufus Great Pyramid. It is the largest tomb every
built. It was the height of a forty-story building, and its base was the
average size of eight football fields. The pyramid contains about 2,300,000
stone blocks. The limestone was covered with a layer of polished stone to add
a shine. Deep inside the pyramid are the tomb chambers, one for the king and
another for the queen. Narrow shafts lined with granite lead the way to the
tomb chambers (Time-Life Books, 75). Social organization was another key
factor in creating such a grand monument. Imhotep was the man that brought
forth this sense of organization. He assembled one workforce to quarry the
limestone, another to haul the two and half ton stones to the site, and one
more to carve the blocks and put them in place (Casson, 129). Just to move one
block took the work of forty men. The daily life of the workers constructing
the pyramids was one of immense toil spanning over a long period of time. The
quarrymen toiled away with soft copper chisels that hardly made a dent in the
limestone. Another team dug a network of canals to transport the stones and
food for the workers. Finally, another team of workers would haul the massive
blocks on wooden sleds and put them into position (Casson, 130-137). This
great social organization became the force that knit the country together.
Another important group was the artisans. They were the people who decorated
the inside of the pyramids. The artisans, also, brought a sense of social
organization by the many processes it took to produce a work of art. For
instance, the actual sculpting of a statue was not considered a single
process, but as on process among many. The quarrymen had to quarry the stone
with soft copper chisels, and it was transported to a sculptor. After the
sculptor was finished with it, the sculpture was sent to another artisan. This
artist would cut hieroglyphs in the statue. The hieroglyphs were about the
life of the person that the statue represented. Then, they would send it to a
metal worker who inserted the eyes and other details. Finally, the statue was
sent to a painter to be painted (White, 153-154). These sculptures were placed
in the tomb of a deceased king, as a ka piece. A ka is considered the life
force of the deceased king. One can see how exhausting it would be to have a
sculpture made, and how much organization was required to produce it The
life of Ancient Egyptian painter was somewhat similar to the life of a
sculptor. They both had their share of work. A painter had to learn the
important skill of making brushes out of reeds and mixing paint (White, 156).
The paint that they used was like tempera paints that we use today. It was a
mixture of pigment and water with wax or a kind of glue as a binder (Casson,
125). The painter went through the exhaustive course of draftsmanship lasting
many years. They were taught to paint figures the scale (White, 160). The
Ancient Egyptians were one of the first people to develop such
well-proportioned figure. The Egyptian painter painted murals inside of the
pyramids depicting the things that the pharaoh accomplished in his life
(Cannon, 50) In conclusion, to create such a great monument, like the
Step-Pyramid, took the mastery of architecture, social organization, and art
that was amazing for that period. Today, we still do not know how the Ancient
Egyptians created such grand monuments. Also, we are still fascinated about
all the artifacts inside the tomb, and the possible uses for them. It will
forever be a mystery.
_Bibliography _
Bibliography Casson, Lionel. Ancient Egypt. 1965. Time Inc. NY, NY. Editors of
Time-Life Books. Egypt: Land of the Lost Pharaohs. 1992. Time-Life Books, VA.
White, Jon Manchip. Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt. 1963 G.P. Putnams Sons,
NY.
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