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Who Built the Pyramids

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Who Built the Pyramids
The Pyramids at Giza remain one of the most amazing architectural works in history and the Great Pyramid stands as the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. The Great Pyramid is “the largest pyramid… [and] was until early twentieth century the biggest building on the planet” (Shaw). It is because of this reputation that the pyramids have gained that some people began to ask the question “Who built the pyramids?” There are many theories revolving around the construction of Egypt’s pyramids: two of which are that the Hebrews under the control of the pharaoh Khufu built the pyramids or that the pyramids were built by extra-terrestrial forces. The famous Greek historian Herodotus traveled to Egypt around 430 B.C. In Egypt, he visited the pyramids and came to the conclusion that the pyramids were built by demoralized Hebrew slaves working under the command of the immoral pharaoh named Khufu. Throughout the years and until today, this is the theory that is accepted by most people. However, there lies a problem with this theory, which is its lack of evidence. First of all, there must have been a very large amount of slaves available to build the pyramids under the labor conditions of that time. There was no proof whatsoever of there being any sort of slavery near Giza during the time of the Old Kingdom, which is the time during which the pyramids were thought to have been built. Secondly, Egyptian records were found for everything: giving birth, farming, building of structures, religion, and wars; however there is no mention of slavery involved in the construction of the pyramids. For the Egyptians to not record such a thing is unlikely. Also, recently, villages were found near Giza and from the remains of the villages it has been understood that the villagers were far from being slaves. Many of the villagers could possibly have been farmers, manufacturers, craftsmen, tailors, and the like. Now after proving the theory of Herodotus wrong, a new theory has been


Cited: “Aliens Built the Pyramids.” 15 Apr. 2008 <http://www.outerworlds.com/likeness/aliens/ aliens.html>. “How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?” Science Daily. 29 Mar. 2008. 16 Apr. 2008 <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080328104302.htm>. Manley, Bill. The Seventy Great Mysteries of Ancient Egypt. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2003. Mayes, Keith. “Who Built the Egyptian Pyramids?” Theories with Problems. 16 Apr. 2008 <http://www.thekeyboard.org.uk/who%20built%20the%20pyramids.htm>. Shaw, Jonathan. “Who Built the Pyramids?” Harvard Magazine. July-Aug. 2003. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/who-built-the-pyramids.html>. Warren, Lee E. “The Great Pyramid of Giza.” PLIM. May-June 1997. 16 Apr. 2008 <http://www.plim.org/greatpyramid.html>. “Who Built the Pyramids?” Nova Online. 15 Apr. 2008 <http://www.pbs.org/wghb/nova/ pyramid/explore/builders.html>.
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