Preview

How Were the Pyramids in Giza Constructed?

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
375 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Were the Pyramids in Giza Constructed?
How were the Pyramids in Giza constructed?
Teresa Walker
Dr. Dwight Webster
Hum 111
Sunday, February 03, 2013

How were the Pyramids in Giza constructed?
There has always been great interest in knowing how the ancient pyramids were built centuries ago. Some of the greatest pyramids are located in Giza, Egypt. One theory, by a man named Dr. Joseph Davidovits, stated that the bricks used to build the pyramids were not carried, but instead the Egyptians carried buckets of slurry, made of lime and a type of concrete to the pyramids and simply poured it into a wooden mold that formed the pyramids bricks. (Davidovits & Morris, 1988) Another theory was made by a historian named Herodotus. Mr. Herodotus stated that the pyramids were constructed in a manner of simply lifting huge bricks, starting from the base, up to the top of the pyramids with levers made of short timbers and rope. (Hodges & Keable, 1993) Both of these theories sounds relevant to me, and seems to work, but I take more interest in the theory by Mr. Herodotus. One reason I chose this theory is because it clearly explains how the Egyptians got all the bricks to the top of the pyramids by use of levers. A second reason that I chose this theory is because it states how the pyramids were actually constructed brick by brick. In the Davidovatis’ theory, he stated that the brick mix were poured into a mold, but that wouldn’t explain why most of the brick in a pyramid are formed differently, Mr. Herodotus theory does.
There are many great theories about the secrets of pyramids. Many people have attempted to provide relevant reasoning to how they were made and why they were constructed to begin with. People has tried to reconstruct the pyramids using their theories but in the end are still baffled. How did they do it? Over all the two theories that I provided are great theories, but both still are simply theories, and the construction of the pyramids still lie as a mystery for all to wonder

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    CulturalArtifactSpeech 1

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. You all have heard of the Great Pyramids of Giza correct…Did you know that those pyramids were built with such precision that our current technology, as advanced as it is, cannot replicate it. There are so many mysteries and facts about these pyramids that it baffles archaeologists, scientists, astronomers, and even tourists.…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Khufu Dbq

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The ancient pyramids of Khufu were built by slaves. In other words, a slave is an unpaid worker who is forced into labor. The quote from Document A, “Egyptians were compelled into labor” suggests that slaves built the pyramids. The important thing about this is that compelled means forced, so the Egyptians had no choice and were forced to obey the will of Khufu. Another quote from Document A, “for 20 years people wore themselves out” also suggests that slaves built the pyramids. This quote connects to the fact that the Egyptians were split in gangs and were forced to haul 2 ton blocks of stone over long distances. This information is convincing, because not many people would want to work themselves to death, risking their life as well as their…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Willard, P. (2009). Egypt Secrets of an Ancient World. Retrieved September 18, 2010, from Explore the Pyramids: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/index.html…

    • 1637 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    First, we must examine where the stones came from since there’s evidence that some of the stones were brought from hundreds of miles away. In order to move stones hundreds of miles, they used their greatest resource: the very large and powerful Nile River. In a book titled The Pyramids by Miroslav Verner, there’s a chapter titled The Construction of the Pyramids where the author discusses methods that were used to build the Great Pyramids of Giza. According to Verner, the Nile was the quickest and least difficult way to transport stones of these sizes down the river for hundreds of miles (Verner 65). He states that there is written and pictorial evidence that supports the idea that the Nile was used quite often to transport these massive stones (Verner 65). However, the Nile wasn’t the only way stones were brought to the site of Giza. There is evidence that most of the stones used to build the Great Pyramids came from nearby quarries, which is why limestone was chosen as the primary medium for the pyramids (Verner 67). Since limestone was the closest and most abundant medium, it seems plausible why it was primarily used. In order to get the stones up the sides of the pyramids to heights around 400 or more feet, a lot of manpower needed to be used. One of the greatest mysteries behind the construction of the pyramids is how many people worked on the pyramids. We know that in order to…

    • 1346 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    My most asked question is why did they build, the pyramids and how after many years they haven't crushed or broken down? How is it possible for the pyramids to still be up?…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The huge stones used in the construction of the Egyptian pyramids were transported by being pulled over wet sand on wooden sledges. Each Egyptian pyramid consists of millions of 2.5 to 15 ton blocks. The most common theory for how these blocks were moved is that they were placed on wooden sledges and pulled up sand ramps for elevation. When scientists started to test this theory they realized it was unrealistic because the sand caused too much friction and clumped making it almost impossible for the sledge to be pulled. Although, when a team of Dutch engineers was testing out different methods the Egyptians could have used, they might have found an answer to the problem. They discovered that using water to make the sand wet stopped the sand…

    • 234 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Pyramidal construction is as old as Egyptian history itself, going back to the beginning of the 3rd…

    • 1889 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Ancient beliefs were largely formed around astrology. Egyptians were polytheistic and believed that the stars were their many gods. The gods were believed to be controlling the natural world from the spiritual world. The Egyptians believed that the gods controlled the river’s annual flood. Because of the annual floods there was a food surplus which allowed specialization of labor. This allowed them to prosper at such a fast rate that they invented hieroglyphics and pyramids.(doesn’t make sense,clear up) In the Egyptian culture the people were led to believe that the pyramids they built as a tomb for their pharaoh would save them. If the pharaoh’s body lay in the tomb the gods would accept him into heaven along with his people. The building of the pyramid was made possible by geography.(how can you prove this, this is opinion not fact) The Egyptians would not have progressed so rapidly without their placement along the Nile…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Early Pyramids Essay

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The building of pyramids first started around 2700 B.C. when the first step pyramid was built for King Zoser in Saqqara, Egypt. Ever since then, pyramids have been commonly associated with Egyptian society. There were various types of pyramids, including (but not limited to) Mastabas, step-pyramids, and the bent-pyramid. Mastabas were not the true pyramid shape, neither were step-pyramids or the bent-pyramid for that matter. Mastabas were shaped similarly to pyramids, but were flat-topped and had sloping sides. Step pyramids were essentially just Mastabas piled on top of one another because, like the name implies, they consisted of "steps" going all the way to the top of the structure. The bent-pyramid was Egypt's first attempt…

    • 552 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Artfacts

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    For centuries, people have theorized how the great pyramids were built. Some have suggested that they must have been constructed by extraterrestrials, while others believe the Egyptians possessed a technology that has been lost through the ages.…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Pyramids of Giza are located in Giza, Egypt. Three of the largest pyramids located there are Menkaura, Khafra, and Khufu. “The three pyramids at Giza are visible from space (“Great Pyramid” Data 44)” “These pyramids of Giza, Egypt, famous not only for their stupendous size and dramatic shape, but also for the astonishing skill with which they were built thousands of years ago (“Pyramids of Giza”42)”. The purpose of these pyramids was to function as monument tombs for pharaohs. The construction of the pyramids was elaborate. Stones weighing an average of two-and-a-half tons were pulled to their place on sleds with the help of at least thirty men. No powered equipment was available to them. Not to mention, the pyramid was hard to get around.…

    • 673 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    introduction to history

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How are the pyramids similar and different from present-day buildings and building methods in Egypt?…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Aliens Built the Pyramids

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Archeologists suggest that the large stones used in building the pyramids were transported by rolling them over logs or a wet, slippery, clay surface. These methods may have been effective in moving the blocks close to the building site, but do not explain how the massive bricks, weighing as much as a Ford F250 truck, were lifted on top of each other.…

    • 713 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are various theories out there as to how the pyramids in Egypt were built. One is that slaves were used in their construction and that several different techniques were employed such as the ramp technique to a terraced pyramid. If there were slaves used than their number would have been extraordinarily high. If there were a ramp built, then it would have taken a long time to dismantle it after the pyramid had been completed. Not to mention that if dismantled the torn down giant blocks would have been left over, plain for all to see. Which, according to the Danish civil engineer Garde-Hanson, is a ridiculous theory. (Yahya, 2008 para. 2)…

    • 529 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    ancient egypt

    • 1078 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pyramids are constructed with a square base that builds up to a pointed top around five hundred feet tall with block stones standing taller than the average person. These colossal icons paint a picture of what one believes ancient Egypt was like. The rough stones were so sturdy they survived over forty-five hundred years of sand storms and typical weathering. “Even after thousands of years, and without its original white limestone covering, the Pyramid of Khufu is still one of the greatest wonders of the world. Whether it's the pyramids on the Giza Plateau near Cairo, Egypt, or the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan in Mexico, pyramids have always fascinated people” (Lusted, Marcia Amidon). However, as interesting as it sounds, why were they created? What good did it do for the Egyptians? And what was really inside these giant walls? Each year thousands of tourists will travel to Egypt to visit the Great Pyramids and step back into the past and get an inside view on the Egyptians culture. It is no surprise that pyramids are one of the Seven Wonders of the World, considering there is more than just a tomb inside.…

    • 1078 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays