Section C

Pyramids of Egypt

Why Were They Built? d The pyramids held the pharaoh's tomb and his most valuable possesions. He would use these possesions of his for his afterlife. Such things that they would have are jewelry of gold, water jugs, and other fine goods.
What Did They Look Like? The pyramids are a triangular shape with 4 sides. They have slanted sides that reminded many Egyptians of the rays from the sun. The Pharaoh's soul would climb to the sky to join the gods on these rays. Inside the pyramid they tried to hide the pharaoh's tomb so that robbers wouldn't steal the gold and fine goods. There are also temples in the pyramid used for funerals.
Where Were They Located? 80 of them are located in Giza, a city in Egypt. Most of the pharaohs lived in Egypt , so that was where they had people build the pyramids for them.	How Were They Constructed? An Egyptian named Imhotep thought of the idea for a pyramid. Then, 4,000 free citizens who were expert stone sculptors built them all year around. 8,000 men worked during Inundation, which was 4 mon. They were made of granite and limestone. First, they measured and shaped the blocks of granite. Next, they placed the blocks in the body of the pyramid. Then, they measured and shaped the blocks of limestone. Finally, they placed the blocks at the top of the pyramid.
The Story of Tutankhamen At age nine a boy named Tutankhamen became the pharaoh of Egypt to replace Akhenaton. He died at a very young age of nineteen. Some believe that he was murdered. In his tomb there were many fine jewels and gold all around. His tomb was very large, but difficult to find. Finally a British scientist, named Howard Carter discovered his burial place. He had a solid gold funeral mask in there to show how he looked. They gave him the name of "King Tut."	How Where They Destroyed? The 80 pyramids in Egypt still stand today. The 3 pyramids in Giza at the west bank of the Nile outside Cairo are the largest and best preserved pyramids. Home Page