By Alexis Vega-Singer
The development of the ancient Egyptian pyramid as an architectural form spanned the Old Kingdom period from approximately 2700-2190 B.C. (3rd-6th dynasties).
Function
Elaborate burial chambers for royalty and other notables were a feature of Egyptian culture, because they believed that a person's ka (life force) lived on after the body's death. Pyramids (and the earlier burial structures from which they are descended) were ways for the ka of kings to live on in comfort and splendor.
Mastabas
Originally, Egyptian royalty were buried underground, and the burial chambers were marked by a rectangular structure called a mastaba. Mastabas were one-story, flat-roofed buildings with slanted walls, made of mud brick and faced with cut stone.
Stepped Pyramids
A large stepped pyramid---made from a half dozen mastaba-like shapes on top of each other---can be found at the funerary complex of King Djoser (3rd Dynasty; ruled circa 2681-2662 B.C.) in Saqqara.
Pyramids
True pyramids first appeared in the 4th Dynasty. They have a square base and all four sides slope to a point at the top. The burial chamber may be inside the structure itself.
Pyramids at Giza
The most famous pyramids are those at Giza, built by the 4th Dynasty kings Khufu (ruled circa 2601-2578 B.C.), Khafre (ruled circa 2570-2544 B.C.) and Menkaure (ruled circa 2533-2515 B.C.). Khufu's is the largest. Its footprint covers 13 acres, and if it still had its original veneer, it would be 480 feet tall.
About the Author:
Alexis Vega-Singer has been an editor for ten years, doing general copyediting and developmental and production editing for ESL textbooks. She has an A.M. from Harvard in Greek and Latin Philology.
