Preview

Different pyramid theories

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
898 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Different pyramid theories
There are various interpretations of how the Great Pyramid was constructed, the three main explanations are: Von Daniken’s Chariots of the Gods, Davidovits/Morris’s An Enigma Solved as well as the more traditional theory, that the Egyptians built the Great Pyramid themselves by Sears/Wilson. In my opinion the theory written by Sears and Wilson most convincingly explains the construction of the pyramids. This theory provides a clear explanation to the questions, which the other alternatives posed. In addition to providing logical and effective evidence to support their claims of why the Egyptians were committed to building the pyramids, where the materials to build the pyramid were sourced and how the materials were transported to the construction site. The Sears and Wilson theory discusses and acknowledges that the construction of the Great Pyramid took an immense amount of dedication. It states that the Egyptians were extremely committed to constructing the pyramid because they were inspired by religious conviction. One example of religious effect on the construction of the pyramid is the placement of the pyramid. The placement was determinded by the religious belief that the setting sun in the west was the dwelling place of the dead. Futhermore the Egyptians were under authoritation of a god-like king Khufu, therefore the Egyptians would be forced to partake in religion, allowing it to be an inspiration for all to aid in the construction of the pyramid. (Sears&Wilson) In Von Daniken’s theory, Chariots of the Gods, he discusses that there was neither enough rock nor wood to construct the pyramid, but the Sears and Wilson theory claims differently. Von Daniken states that there was not a sufficient amount of trees available to build wooden rollers. Sears and Wilson prove this statement to be incorrect by explaining that the wood used to manufacture the rollers, rafts and sleds was imported from Phoenicia at the time of Sneferu. (Sears&Wilson) Futhermore it

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Activty 1 2012

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Pyramids characterized Egyptian civilization, they were burial tombs believed to help the pharaoh achieve eternal life after death. This tells us that the Egyptians too were very religious.…

    • 654 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    CulturalArtifactSpeech 1

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1. Built during a time when Egypt was one of the richest and most powerful civilizations in the world, the pyramids are some of the most magnificent man-made structures in history. Their massive scale reflects the unique role that the pharaoh played in ancient Egyptian society. These Pyramids were built by Pharaohs Khufu (tallest), Khafre (background), Menkaure (front), as tombs for themselves and their queens.…

    • 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

    According the Verner, the best evidence of the ancient Egyptians mathematical knowledge is found in the construction of their pyramids (Verner 70). For example, the Great Pyramid itself, which was built by Khufu, is not a typical four-sided pyramid like most pyramids built during the fourth century. In a book titled The Egyptian Pyramids, the author, J.P. Lepre states that the Great Pyramid is an eight-sided figure which is made possible with the concavity of it’s core (Lepre 65). The indentations that make this figure eight-sided, however, can only be seen from the air and are basically invisible from any position on the ground. This unique pyramid design and the ability of the ancient Egyptians to create an eight-sided figure that looks four-sided unless seen from the air, shows just how vast their mathematical skills and knowledge were thousands of years ago. In an article titled The Mysterious Secrets of the Great Pyramid, the author, William F. Dankenbring, discusses the ideas of another author named Peter Tompkins who says “Whoever built the Great Pyramid…knew the circumference of the planet, and the length of the year to several decimals – data which were not rediscovered till the seventeenth century” (Dankenbring 21). The fact that the ancient Egyptians had knowledge of such complex ideas before the common…

    • 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
  • Better Essays

    Just to pound out the stone 60 to 70 men were needed. To get the stones to the pyramid, the men had to cut slot in the stone then ram pegs in the holes and put water in them. That was the only way they could split the stones with the limited tools they had. They had to lubricate an area to slide the stones to the pyramid by either the men or oxen pulling dragging them. When the stones got to the pyramid site, then the men had to build ramps to be able to get all the stones to the top. The ramps were "wrap-around" style. They couldn’t be straight because you needed wrap around for the upper layers of the great pyramid. They were made of mud brick and had pieces of plaster mixed in to make them harder.…

    • 1157 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better 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
  • 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
  • Powerful Essays

    The Egyptians have had many great wonders. One of these wonders are pyramids. Because this was an ancient wonder, many people believe that the Egyptians didn't use any math but only used logic and reason to build pyramids. If this is true, then how did they build the Great Pyramid? They used simple math to make such a great pyramid. They used the Pythagorean Theorem, trigonometry and simple algebra. They also measured the angle of each direction so that each side of the pyramid was facing exactly north, south, east and west.…

    • 1119 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful 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

    Explain how the Egyptians could have reduced friction while transporting the huge limestone blocks to build the great pyramids.…

    • 600 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Even now, people still think that aliens made the Pyramids. The Egyptians were far ahead of their time. They were able to drag hundreds, if not thousands, of several ton limestone blocks all on the backs of men. They figured out how to roll logs underneath the limestone blocks so they would move better. They learned that if a rectangular wooden structure had too much weight on top, the walls would cave. So, they used limestone, and they made the base of the structure thicker than the top. They knew how to make things work through trial and error. They didn't need any aliens to help them! The Egyptians were and still are, an intelligent people. They did not give up when they had their minds set on a colossal monument to celebrate their leaders. The Egyptians wanted everyone to know the power they held. Even now, 4,575 years later, we still see the feats of the…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Seven Wonders

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Noted for being the only surviving member of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid is the largest of the 3 pyramids built in the ancient city of Giza, now part of greater Cairo, Egypt. The pyramid is believed to have been built around 2560 B.C. as a tomb for the Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, and likely took 20 years to construct. (Egyptologists argue over man-power numbers, and estimates have ranged from 14,000 to 360,000 men). When built, the pyramid measured nearly 480 feet high, with the sides each measuring about 755 feet long. In addition, each side is oriented with one of the cardinal points (north, south, east and west). Nearly 2.3 million blocks of stone, each weighing approximately 2 tons, comprise the pyramid. The pyramid remained the world's tallest building for 4 millennia after it was built.…

    • 871 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays