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Egyptian Pyramids
By Victoria Stamato
1
Table of Contents
What are pyramids……………………………………………………………………………………………....2
Building Pyramids............................................................................................................................. ..…...3
Building Techniques…………………………………………………………………………………………...3
Different Pyramids……………………………………………………………………………………………..4
Glossary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
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Have you ever wondered why and how Egyptians built pyramids? Pyramids aren’t
just there to see. They are for tombs of mummies. Pyramids took a long time to make, and
they were made by hand. There are many different pyramids in Egypt. Keep reading to find
out more.
Have you ever wondered why Egyptians built pyramids? Each pyramid was for a
tomb for a pharaoh to bring him eternal life. In the tombs are the mummies of the pharaoh
or Egyptian king. They were built 80 feet underground, to protect them from tomb
robbers. There were also different chambers and passages in the pyramids. Above the
King’s chamber, there were 5 rough chambers. There were no doors in pyramids because
the Pharaoh wouldn’t need them in his journey to the underworld. At the end of each
pyramid was a Valley temple. Some experts believe that the Valley Temple is where the
funeral began. Archaeologists aren’t sure if the Valley Temples exist because none are still
here today, but they think there was Valley Temple because other pyramids had them.
Pyramids brought the mummy to the afterlife.
Fact Box-
Once a life sized statue of Zoser
was found in his pyramid.
The Great Pyramid
3
Building a pyramid was a long process. The builders had to mark the perimeter in
the sand. They put the blocks together so tightly, you couldn’t slip a knife between them.
Each of those blocks weighed an average of 5,000 pounds, so pyramids could weigh up to
6.5 million pounds! Each block was waist high. To pull the blocks, the Egyptians built ramps
and pulled the blocks up it, as the pyramids got bigger, the ramps got bigger, too The whole
process could take over 20 years to complete, even though there might be 20,000 workmen
to build a large pyramid. Most people were famers, but people used to think the workers
were slaves. The architects were experienced men.
The Egyptians had different techniques for building pyramids. The Egyptians made
pyramid over 5,000 years ago, at first the they tried to make pyramid with flat sides but
they didn’t keep making them like that. Pyramids were triangular because the Egyptians
believed the earth used to be all water, but a mound of the earth rose from the depths. Each
side was a perfect triangle and those 4 sides so they face North, South, East, and West. The
workers dragged the stones up a ramp they build. In the pyramids there was a tomb with
the mummy and the mummy’s treasure. When the pyramid was almost done, a special
block covered in shinning metal (ether gold or electrum) was put on the top of the
pyramid. A step pyramid was a pyramid that has a large square base and the next is
smaller and so on, and the other ones have sides that look flat.
Fact Box-
The Great Pyramid for Pharaoh Khufu was the tallest
building in the world, until The Eiffel Tower was built.
Fact Box-
The Great Step Pyramid built for
Pharaoh Djoser was built nearly 4,700
years ago and is the oldest large
building still standing.
4
Each pyramid has an interesting story behind it. There were about 90 pyramids in
Egypt, and most are still standing. Pyramids can also be found in The Middle East, Central
America, and South America, not just Egypt. All of the pyramids in Egypt were built west of
the Nile River. The Great Pyramid in Giza is 1 of the 7 wonders in the world. It was made
for Pharaoh Khufu. It made out of 2.5 million stones and weighs about 6.5 million tones!
There is a room under The Great Pyramid that is still a mystery. There are 3 small pyramids
by it and it is for Pharaoh Khufu’s 3 wives. The Sphinx is a pyramid with the head of a
woman, but body of a lion. Each pyramid is different from each other.
Nubian Pyramids are much steeper
than Egyptian pyramids.
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Each pyramid is unique in its own way. They hold tombs for king and took a long
time to build. They were built nearly 5,000 years ago, and they are each very interesting to
learn about. Think about building them with no technology. Some pyramids are still here
today, and that proves how well they were built.
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Glossary
archaeologist-Someone who studies prehistoric people and their culture.
causeway-A paved pathway.
electrum-A metal that is a mixture of gold and silver.
Nile River-The world’s longest river that flows through Egypt.
perimeter-The continuous line forming boundary of a closed geometric figure.
pharaoh-An Egyptian king.
Step Pyramid-A tall, pyramid-shaped structure made of increasing smaller levels of
steps.
The Great Pyramid-The largest pyramid in Egypt.
tomb-A large vault typically for burying the dead.
tomb robbers-Grave robbery.
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Bibliography
Geographic, N. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2013, from National Geographic:
www.NatinalGeographic.com
Hyman, T. (2005). Pyramids. Farmington Hills: Wonders of the World.
Museum, B. (n.d.). Ancient Egypt. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from Pyramids:
www.ancientegypt.com
Simon, S. (2002). Pyramids and Mummies. New York: See More Readers.
Taplin, S. (2002). Mummies and Pyramids. New York: Usborne Discoveries.