The Great Pyramid Of Khufu History Essay

The Great gain Of Khufu History EssayIn the Old Kingdom several(prenominal) term in the midst of the years of 2575 BC and 2134 BC the Egyptians constructed The Great Pyramid. The Pharaoh Khufu ordered the building of a profit of greater dimensions than whatsoever other benefit ever constructed. In hope to increase interest in the building of his pyramid Khufu shut down other temples to divert the interest to his rate. Khufu chose to build on the Giza plateau on the tocopherol side of the Nile River. It is give tongue to that Khufu ordered slaves to construct the huge pyramid, but this is incorrect. The pyramid was create by somewhat 5,000 free citizens of Egypt drafted for public work. The men were divided up into gangs of laborers and masons. The laborers consisted of approximately 18 to 20 individuals. The laborers would personalize the blocks of precious stone in which they sustaind with their groups name. Using stone cut mostly from a objective right on the Giza pla teau the laborers quarried and hau direct the massive blocks of stone up the pyramid (Egypt 55). Fine white limestone was interpreted from Tura across the Nile River. The granite utilise for the kings burial chamber was quarried from Aswan, cd miles upriver from Giza (Egypt 58). The blocks of stone weighed as oft as 15 tons as the granite stones were the heaviest (Casson 131). The total weight of the pyramid is 6.25 million keen-sighted tons of stone (Harris 86). The Great Pyramid has a total of about 2,250,000 blocks of stone (Woods 16). This feat is almost unheard of today with the use of new machines and techniques for hauling and moving incredibly heavy objects. The Egyptians used some rather ingenious ways to keep their building project on the perfect side. The crews would dig affiliated trenches well-nigh the building site and fill the trenches with water. later filling the trenches with water they would tie a duration of rope at equal height onto two sticks. Thus stret ching the rope taunt they could obtain any unleveled points to fill or level off to keep their base even entirely-around (Casson 133). The laborers used log rollers to aid in the moving of the massive blocks of stone. Before tipping the stone onto the rollers the side that is to be confront down on the logs is finished early to ensure a smooth ride (ibid. 131). Seeing how nonionised the ancient civilization was proving itself to be, historians argon not shocked to take on that they used a quadruple-way ramp governance to haul the blocks of rock to the upper most places of Khufus pyramid. The system used three ramps that formed three shape off spirals to the top, and one ramp that followed the same form down and off the formation (ibid. 134). This gives us four tiers of ramps, a sort of Egyptian highway system of on and off ramps. French architect Henri Chevrier well-tried the ramp theory with 50 men and a one ton block of limestone bunch on a track of wet mud from the Nile River. The results showed that one man harnessed to a rope could move the block on a level surface, 1 not each(prenominal) 50 (Egypt 58).After perchance what might have taken the entire twenty-three year reign of Khufu the structure was complete. The entrance rent down around 60 feet. The next obstacle to be faced is three stone seal plugs that slid in front of the entrance to prevent grave robbers from entering. The sealing blocks kept robbers out for about 400 years till finally they got through and stole the contents of the pyramid (Casson 136). Then advancing up(a) to a second burial chamber that was left incomplete, this chamber is commonly misnamed the Queens Chamber. Then we resignation upon a 153 tail long 28 foot high tunnel called The Grand art gallery. The Grand Gallery is noted for its ceiling do with tiers and braces (ibid. 136). After traveling through The Grand Gallery we find ourselves in the actual burial chamber of Khufu. The sarcophagus nonetheless stand s at the west end of the chamber of social class it has been empty for some clock now. This chamber was actually the third placement designated by Khufu. Each time his aspirations grew he wanted the pyramid bigger, and his tomb higher. The burial chamber was designed with six stress relieving roofs made of granite to support the tons of block over head (ibid.136). This monument of Egyptian architecture and technique covers a land mass of 13.1 acres. At the top of the once gold capstone the pyramid stands 482 feet high, now it is 31 feet shorter due to other projects taking stone from the handy acknowledgment. The sides at the base ar an astounding 756 feet long. (Egypt 53).I want to share with you the strange tales and theories about the Egyptians being able to see the future. One theory is from the stinting astronomer Charles Piazzi Smyth. Smyth believed that the pyramid reflected measures of time and distance that could have then been only from a divine source. The pyramid s howed the distance of the sun to the earth when its height in inches is multiplied by 10 to the 9th power. Smyth also said that the perimeter of the pyramid equaled 1000 times 365.2, the number of days in a solar year. unfortunately Smyths measurements were proven wrong by British archaeologist Flinders Petrie (Egypt 55). Even thought the construction of the pyramid still has its doubts and theories, we find that the Egyptians used such great accuracy in their techniques that some spots in the pyramid have gaps only about .0001 inch (.0003 cm) wide (woods 23). This is about large enough to squeeze a postcard through. This brings us to the outside surroundings of the Great Pyramid. There are two other study pyramids at the Giza site. The second biggest is the pyramid of Khafre, and the smallest of the three is the pyramid of Menkaure (Egypt 56). These other pyramids were built after Khufus death. The second largest was built by his son, (Khafre), and his grandson, (Menkaure). In th e surroundings of the Great Pyramid the Great Sphinx is found. This 240 foot long and 66 foot high Guardian ordered by King Khafre was carved out of an outcropping left pot at the limestone quarry that supplied the stone for the Great Pyramid (ibid. 60).Perhaps one of the greatest discoveries found around the perimeter of the Great Pyramid is the twin pits that contain funeral boats for Khufu. During a routine clearing of the base of the pyramid in 1954 Egyptian archeologist Kamal el Mallakh uncovered what he at first thought to be a part of the enclosure wall. Then Mallakh noticed that this section was closer than on the other sides. sentiment of a possible find he instructed to dig deeper until a row of 81 huge limestone blocks in separate sets were apparently covering the twin pits. After careful work Mallakh opened a fixture in one of the six-foot-thick slabs. Under that slab he saw an oar and realized he had come upon a historical relic, a cedar funeral boat of Khufu. It to ok about sixteen years to remove the boat from the pit. Not wanting(p) to risk the loss they left the second pit untouched (ibid. 61). Today the boat is on boast in a special museum along side of the Great Pyramidof Khufu (ibid. 59).Another great baring was found around the Great Pyramid by accident. In 1925 a photographer while put up his tripod to take photos of The Great Pyramid nicked a piece of plaster from a hidden commencement cut into the rock. Archaeologists removed stones and revealed a 100 foot shaft that lead down to a tomb. The tomb belonged to Queen Hetepheres, Khufus mother. After a total of three-hundred-twenty-one days of work it became apparent that 4500 years had taken its bell on the tomb. Most objects were already decayed almost to nothing. Using 1701 pages of sketches and 1057 pictures of the site most items were able to be reconstructed (Egypt 54). In front of the pyramid was what is known as the Great Causeway. The Great Causeway led to a rectangular mo rtuary temple. From this point the coffin was taken to a spot below the tomb entrance and then hauled up 56 feet to the opening of the pyramid (Casson 138). Also next to the pyramid are three satellite pyramids that belonged to the rulers three queens. There were also several fields of mastaba tombs and two temples, all connected by The Great Causeway (Egypt 59). Until recently it was thought that we had little chance of finding all of the missing sections of Khufus pyramid. In 1990 workmen installing sewer lines hit upon a part of the Great Causeway. After this finding the original path of the Causeway was easily mapped. The government of Egypt wants to move the residents of Nazlet el Simman and excavate the site (ibid. 59).The location of the Great Pyramid at Giza has been a popular place throughout time, and time has by all odds taken its toll on the Great Pyramid. Unfortunately we have almost no tombs from the old domain left with artifacts and treasures from the nobility that once inhabited them. Khufus Great Pyramid is unfortunately one that was made in the old kingdom, hence it was not well preserved and artifacts are rare (Harris 88). Another fear is as man progresses the pollution will cause the rocks on the pyramid to erode at a much more rapid pace. Possible tourism someday will take a toll and produce to make the wonderful site deteriorate much more rapidly than it would if we were to just admire from a distance. The pyramids at Giza remain the only of the seven wonders of the ancient world that is still here (ibid. 85). The future holds the truth of what time will do to the Great Pyramid. If it is treated like the sphinx has been we may be in endangerment of some idiot shooting a cannon at it. If report continues on the path it is set on now there is nothing to stop the Egyptians from using the blocks as a handy source for outer building projects. Time has been responsible for the changes in the pyramid the contents have disappeared, outcrop pings have been conceal and possibly lost forever, and the environment has taken its toll on the massive structure. In conclusion, The Great Pyramid has open eyes on the techniques and loyalty of the ancient Egyptian empire. The Egyptians have constructed a piece of history that can only sit on a list of seven the other six are no longer in existence. This makes the pyramid the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There will probably never be anything constructed with such raw accuracy and detail without computers and machines. I hope you have enjoyed the breeding I have given you on the construction of the Great Pyramid, the surroundings of the Great Pyramid, and the effect of time on the Great Pyramid of Khufu.