The sides of a pyramid are made out of matching triangles. The pyramids of Giza, in Egypt, are more than 4,500 years old. Learn more about what pyramids are and what they are used for in Discovering Pyramids, a title in the 3D Objects series.
Discusses the different kinds of pyramids, their structure, construction, purposes, and creators. Includes related projects exploring how pyramid shapes have many kinds of properties and uses.
The inside story, told by excavators of the extraordinary discovery of the world’s oldest papyri, revealing how Egyptian King Khufu’s men built the Great Pyramid at Giza. Pierre Tallet’s discovery of the Red Sea Scrolls—the world’s oldest surviving written documents—in 2013 was one of the most remarkable moments in the history of Egyptology. These papyri, written some 4,600 years ago, and combined with Mark Lehner’s research, changed what we thought we knew about the building of the Great Pyramid at Giza. Here, for the first time, the world-renowned Egyptologists Tallet and Lehner give us the definitive account of this astounding discovery. The story begins with Tallet’s hunt for hieroglyphic rock inscriptions in the Sinai Peninsula and leads up to the discovery of the papyri, the diary of Inspector Merer, who oversaw workers in the reign of Pharaoh Khufu in Wadi el-Jarf, the site of an ancient harbor on the Red Sea. The translation of the papyri reveals how the stones of the Great Pyramid ended up in Giza. Combined with Lehner’s excavations of the harbor at the pyramid construction site the Red Sea Papyri have greatly advanced our understanding of how the ancient Egyptians were able to build monuments that survive to this day. Tallet and Lehner narrate this thrilling discovery and explore how the building of the pyramids helped create a unified state, propelling Egyptian civilization forward. This lavishly illustrated book captures the excitement and significance of these seminal findings, conveying above all how astonishing it is to discover a contemporary eyewitness testimony to the creation of the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World.
There is a vast range of books on Egypt on the market at present, and it is often hard to make a choice between them; most have a decent text, and one can hardly avoid beautiful illustrations on such a subject. However if you are particularly interested in the pyramids, this may be the book for you. It claims comprehensiveness in being the first fully illustrated survey of all Egypt's pyramids, the text is well-written and based on up-to-date research, and the author is an expert in this field. There is information on many aspects of the pyramids; the legends surrounding them, the activities of archaeologists, the towns which grew around them, the priests and servants who had responsibility for them, and most of all the construction and craftsmanship of the structures themselves. The text is accompanied by many useful explanatory and reconstructive illustrations.
This generously illustrated work is the most complete reference book ever published on these fascinating and compelling structures of the ancient world. Facts on each of the 42 pharaohs and the monuments they constructed (and commentary from the author who has extensively explored them) include all elements of each pyramid complex that have been discovered, and whether a sarcophagus and mummy have been located. Cross-sectional diagrams and floor plans are provided for all pyramids so far uncovered, as well as photographs where available. Longer essays discuss in painstaking detail the unusual features of such as the Bent Pyramid of Pharaoh Sneferu and the Great Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu. Eight appendices include a comparison of Egyptian to Aztec and Mayan pyramids; and notable pyramid authors and explorers. The resulting book offers solutions to many of the intriguing mysteries long associated with the pyramids in addition to tantalizing suggestions of discoveries yet to be made.
In Rosalie David's hands, the Egyptian builders of the pyramids are revealed as simple people, leading ordinary lives while they are engaged on building the great tomb for a Pharoah. This is an engrossing detective story, bringing to the general reader a fascinating picture of a special community that lived in Egypt and built one of the pyramids, some four thousand years ago.
This engaging account is the result of Massey's pool-side ponderings, in which he gives a detailed alternative theory of how the ancient Egyptians could have used water to their advantage to make pyramid building much easier.