Pyramids of Egypt

Pyramids of Egypt

When one thinks of Egypt it is hard to do so without seeing the pyramids of Giza in the mind's eye. These piles of limestone or mudbrick are the oldest known manmade structures on our planet and have actually survived longer in the period known as BCE (before the common era) than they have in CE (the common era). Since the dawn of recorded history they have been an enigma, and this continues through to the present day, with more books and papers being written about them than any of the other ancient monuments in Egypt. Library shelves, throughout the world, are full of the various theories about how they were built, why they were built, and why they are located in certain places; and the full gambit of writing is used in these theories; from the well researched and referenced volumes, to the ones which, quite frankly, deserve to be in either the science-fiction sections or the children's ones.

So, why were they built? It is generally accepted that they were tombs for the kings who built them; the fact that some of the Egypt pyramids had granite sarcophagi inside them being a major clue, as well as the lack of actual burial tombs being found for the majority of these kings (though one or two did have tombs built as well). But there are those who will point to the fact that no body, or mummy, of a king was ever discovered in any of these pyramids, which is a very good point, until other facts are brought in; namely the known fact that the pyramids were broken into in antiquity and any objects within, if any, were stolen and sold. If one goes into the main burial chamber of the Great Pyramid (the Pyramid of Khufu, or Cheops), which is known as the "King's Chamber", why would a massive granite sarcophagus be in there if it was not to hold a body (inside a coffin), and who, but the king, would be in a position to build such a grandiose edifice? Sometimes it is easier to look at things using common sense rather than looking at ways to disprove the obvious.