Egyptian pyramids and tombs

1. Egyptian pyramids and tombs

2. Old Kingdom Egyptians began to build pyramids to house their dead pharaohs There are still 35 pyramids standing near the Nile, and 138 pyramid sites have been discovered Chronology of pyramids

3. Before pyramids, Egyptians constructed bench-like structures called mastabasto house the bodies of deceased pharaohs Chronology of pyramids

4. The first pyramids to emerge were step pyramids This design was conceived by the architect Imhotep Served as a stairway for the deceased pharaoh to climb to the afterlife Chronology of pyramids

6. At the end of the Old Kingdom, around 2600BCE, smooth pyramids began to appear The Red Pyramidwas the first, and was constructed as a step pyramid then smoothed in Chronology of pyramids

7. The Great Pyramid of Giza is another great example, but was constructed to be smooth under orders of Khufu Chronology of pyramids

8. The Great Pyramid and others at Giza symbolized the absolute authority of the pharaohs because they required a massive labour forceand lots of natural resources to be constructed Chronology of pyramids

12. At Giza, smaller pyramids housed the pharaoh’s queen The Great Sphinx is also at Giza and could have possibly protected the pyramids Chronology of pyramids

13. The pyramid shape could represent the mound that Amon-Re rose up from in the creation myth It might also represent the descending rays of the sun What’s with the shape?

14. Four stages of construction over about a 20 year period; • Planning stage • Mining stage • Transportation stage • Construction stage How did they build the pyramids?

15. As time went on, power became more decentralized and pyramids lost their grandeur Why did Egyptians stop building pyramids?

16. Ancient Egyptians started burying their pharaohs in tombs during the New Kingdom The Valley of the Kings at Thebes includes 60 burial sites including the tomb of Tutankhamun Why did Egyptians stop building pyramids?

17. Several chambers, a burial tomb, and shafts leading from the tomb to the sky Chambers housed figures called shabti which were intended to help the deceased in the afterlife What was inside a pyramid?

19. The tomb itself was littered with spells written on papyrus, hieroglyphics to provide instructions to the deceased, statues, and copies of The Book of the Dead specific to the deceased The Book of the Dead contained magic spells which served to guide the deceased in the afterlife What was inside a pyramid?

22. “The lost gods of the Egyptians”