Finals - Humanities - Egyptian Pyramids Article
How tall is Saqqara?
200 feet high
What did a pharaoh transform into upon his death?
A dead pharaoh transformed into the god Osiris.
What is a mastaba?
A flat topped rectangular shaped tomb.
Where did the pinnacle of pyramid construction take place?
At Giza (north of Saqqara ad west of Cairo)
What were on the outside of the pyramids?
Bas-reliefs of hieroglyphics were on the outside of the pyramids, painted in bright colors and telling the story of the pharaoh whose tomb was inside.
Why would workers willingly construct the pyramids?
Because a pharaoh's success in the afterlife was directly related to a worker's own prosperity - thus the worker's participation affected his life and afterlife.
What did workers rely on to bring the stones from the quarries to the pyramid sites?
Boats
Why did they place the pyramid on top of the tomb?
By placing the pyramid on top of the tomb, it functioned in a manner similar to the mastabas of the past, protecting the tomb rather than housing it.
Who was the first pharaoh to have a pyramid built for his tomb?
Djoser was the first pharaoh who had a pyramid built for his tomb.
Who was Djoser?
Djoser was the second king of the THIRD DYNASTY who reigned from 2630 to 2611 BCE.
What happened after the funeral?
Funerary cult participants devoted themselves to the sites an in effort to assure the benevolence of the pharaoh and promote the continued balance across the land.
What is Giza made up of?
Giza has several small pyramids, mastabas and the Great Sphinx, as well as 3 GIANT PYRAMIDS from the Fourth Dynasty.
Who designed Saqqara?
Imhotep, Djoser's chief minister and architect.
Who were the pyramids of Giza built for?
Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure
What is Ma'at?
Ma'at is the ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE.
When did Egyptians possess the wheel?
Not until 1500 BCE, which is 1,000 years after the pyramids of Giza were built.
How did they keep the stones together?
Once at the site, the giant stones were probably set in place with mud and stone ramps were temporarily built at the base of the structure. Most of the stones were mortared into place using a mixture of sand, water and gypsum. In a few cases, meal anchors were also used
What is one popular theory as to how the stones for the pyramids were put into place?
One popular theory is that they were CARVED AT THEIR SOURCE and delivered to the location of the building.
What could Osiris do?
Osiris could ensure Egypt's prosperity as long as his mummy remained intact and safe in its tomb.
Where does Saqqara get its name from?
Saqqara gets its name from the SIX LEVELS OF STONE that gives it an appearance of shrinking steps
When were the Egyptian pyramids created/started?
The Egyptian pyramids began in the era of the OLD KINGDOM.
Why were the Egyptian pyramids created?
The Egyptian pyramids were created as ROYAL TOMBS for the PHARAOHS.
Why did Egyptians believe the pharaoh should be honored?
The Egyptians believed that the pharaoh must be honored (in life and death) as a GUARANTEE THAT MA'AT would continue to reign (for example, without a balance of ma'at, the Nile River would not flood properly and agriculture would fail. If the crops failed, then there would be economic and social chaos)
What was the role of the Pharaoh in ancient Egypt?
The Egyptians believed their Pharaoh was a DIVINE BEING with a DIRECT RELATIONSHIP to the gods.
Why was the Pharaoh's death invested with sacred meaning?
The Pharaoh's death was invested with sacred meaning because he was an INTERMEDIARY between HUMANS and GODS. He was considered to be an AVATAR of the HAWK GOD HORUS and the SON OF RA.
What was the achievement and maintenance of ma'AT dependent upon?
The achievement and maintenance of ma'at was dependent upon the success or failure of the pharaoh in maintaining order in his kingdom.
Why were bodies mummified?
The body was mummified and entombed with objects needed in the afterlife because of Ka.
What did early tombs dating around 3000 BCE include?
The early tombs included mastabas (covered tombs built in a rectangular shape)
What did the grand size of the pyramids mean?
The monumental size of the pyramids was a constant reminder of the sacred power of the pharaoh and the importance of maintaining their traditions and faith.
What necessity motivated Egyptian royal architects to experiment with tomb design?
The necessity of keeping the pharaoh's mummy in tact and safe in its tomb.
What is the modern theory about the way the pyramids were built?
The new theory is that they were constructed by 20,000-30,000 men who were mostly SKILLED LABORERS who WILLINGLY PARTICIPATED in building the pyramids.
What is the old theory about the way the pyramids were built?
The old theory was that they were constructed by slave labor.
What's is Ka?
The part of the soul that visited the body after death and depended on offerings of food
What did the pyramid's shape signify?
The pyramid's shape probably had RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE, since the slanting slides resemble the angle of a sunbeam upon which the pharaoh's spirit was thought to journey to heaven. Or the shape may represent the primordial mound of earth at the world's creation.
What was the first known tomb in Egypt build entirely of stone?
The step pyramid of Saqqara
What were on the inside of the pyramids?
The tombs enclosed in the pyramids were elaborately decorated with murals and hieroglyphics on the walls telling the life and afterlife of the pharaoh. The pharaoh's favorite possessions, foods and even pets, servants and family members were buried with his mummified corpse. This burial rite was to ensure he would have everything he needed to journey to the afterlife.
What trend did Djoser began?
When he commissioned his funerary site, he initiated a trend of BUILDING TOMBS THAT WOULD BECOME THE SYMBOL OF THE OLD KINGDOM: the STEP PYRAMID
Did a Pharaoh's influence on the balance of ma'at continue after death?
Yes - part of his soul (known as Ka) was thought to visit the body and depend on offerings of food and other goods.