Most of the pyramids can be found on the western side of the Nile River, just into the dry desert. The reason they built the pyramids next to the Nile River was so it would be easier to get the blocks to the pyramid. The stones could be bought nearer to the pyramid building site by boat.

What was the main reason for building the pyramids?

Pyramids were built for religious purposes. The Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to believe in an afterlife. They believed that a second self called the ka10 lived within every human being. When the physical body expired, the ka enjoyed eternal11 life.

Did the Nile flow next to the pyramids?

Long before the Sphinx was uncovered from sand, the pyramids of Giza met the Nile in a close encounter. A branch of the Nile River reached the Pyramids area, so distinctively when the time of flood drew closer; the pyramids reflection was seen on the water. Pyramids 1869 – old tribes resting near the pyramids of Giza.

How do we know when the pyramids were built?

We find the bones of the people who lived and were buried in these tombs. All that can be radiocarbon dated, for example. But primarily we date the pyramids by their position in the development of Egyptian architecture and material culture over the broad sweep of 3,000 years.

Why did many of the pyramids have fake passages and traps?

The pyramids main purpose was to keep the pharaohs bodies safe. Granite doors, false passages, and fake chambers were there to keep out robbers.

Is there water under the Great Pyramid?

Over time, changes in the Nile River made the water table beneath the pyramids rise. And about 10 years ago, a new dam on the Nile raised the groundwater even more. So today, the water table is high enough to flood the tombs.

What was kept inside the pyramids?

Deep inside the pyramids lays the Pharaohs burial chamber which would be filled with treasure and items for the Pharaoh to use in the afterlife. The walls were often covered with carvings and paintings. Near the Pharaohs chamber would be other rooms where family members and servants were buried.

What is underneath the Great Pyramid?

The pharaohs final resting place was usually within a subterranean burial chamber underneath the pyramid. Although the Great Pyramid has subterranean chambers, they were never completed, and Khufus sarcophagus rests in the Kings Chamber, where Napoleon is said to have sojourned, deep inside the Great Pyramid.

Are there tunnels under the Sphinx?

Dr Hawass undertook excavations beneath the main body of the Sphinx last year at Giza and rediscovered the access tunnels to several large, apparently natural, caves directly under the Sphinx.

How much did slaves get paid a day?

Let us figure the lifetime wages owed to a typical 60 year old slave. Let us say that the slave, He/she, began working in 1811 at age 11 and worked until 1861, giving a total of 50 years labor. For that time, the slave earned $0.80 per day, 6 days per week.

What percent of ancient Egypt were slaves?

John Madden of the University College of Galway thinks that in Roman times perhaps 10% of the Egyptian population was enslaved, with their density varying greatly throughout the country , as opposed to the Roman heartland where about every third inhabitant was a slave.

Can humans build pyramids today?

There are no plans to build a full-scale Great Pyramid, but a campaign for a scaled-down model is under way. The Earth Pyramid Project, based in the United Kingdom, is raising funds to erect a pyramidal structure in an as-yet-undecided location, built of stones quarried all around the world.