Facts About Pyramids
Dates
The oldest pyramid is Pharaoh Zoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara (2650 B.C.). Most pyramids date from the Old Kingdom (2686 B.C.-2181 B.C.), and are found in or near the West bank of the Nile River.
Pyramid Coordinates
| Pharaoh | Kind of Pyramid | Dates (B.C.) | Location | Dimensions(feet) |
| Zoser | Step Pyramid | 2680-2570 | Saqqara | 411 E-W, 358 N-S |
| Sekhem-Khet | Buried Pyramid | 2680-2570 | Saqqara | 358 square |
| Sneferu | Not Known | 2570-2450 | Meidum | 473 square |
| Sneferu | Northern Pyramid | 2570-2450 | Giza | 619 square |
| Sneferu | Bent Pyramid | 2570-2450 | Dahshur | 620 square |
| Khufu (Cheops) | True Pyramid | 2570-2450 | Giza | 751 square |
Please notice that on Khufu’s True Pyramid (2570-2450 in Giza), that IS what is known as the Great Pyramid.
Jobs
Architects were used for planning, quarry men were for getting the stone out of the ground in the quarry, and masons were used to shape and cut the stone to the right size. Painters were used to paint and write on the inside walls of the pyramid and tomb, and sculptors to make statues and carvings to put in the pyramid.
General Facts
The Pharaoh started arranging to build his pyramid as soon as he came to power. Forty-six pyramids have been located and studied by archaeologists. The Great Pyramid is taller than St. Peter’s in Rome, the Statue of Liberty in the U.S.A., St. Paul’s Cathedral in London and the Taj Mahal in India. Did you know that Egypt led the world in stonework for over 2,000 years? The Pyramids were built for Pharaohs and their closest relatives. The ancient Egyptian word for pyramid is "mer". The first attempt to build a True Pyramid was by Pharaoh Sneferu, the first Pharaoh of the 4th Dynasty. His attempt failed, so he tried again. The result was the "Bent" Pyramid in Dahshur. Pharaoh Khufu was also known as Cheops. Khafre (or Khafra) was also known as Chephren. Menkure (or Menkura) was also known as Mycerinus. All of the "also known as" names are the Greek forms of the names. This is a table of the Pharaoh who had the pyramid built, the kind or name of the pyramid, the date in B.C. that the pyramid may have been built, the location of the pyramid, and the dimensions in feet of the pyramid around the base.