The pyramids of Egypt
711. Introduction
The pyramids of Egypt built for more than 4 000 years, is Marvel's oldest and the only one that is preserved. Served as a tomb for the Egyptian pharaohs, whose mummified body was surrounded by treasures and personal items. Upright on the sand of the desert, the Pyramids of Egypt, slender majestic, are more than a temple and a tomb. To them, especially the Great Pyramid, one has the impression of being in the presence of a monument which is reaching into their secrets very closely related to its structure.
As in Babylon and in America, the pyramids in Egypt were erected temples to the glory of a god, temple complex rituals for death and birth, while knowledge of monuments to a people far less ignorant of what historians believe. Even the most irrational rationalists Archaeologists have surrendered to the evidence: this reflected in their mathematical and astronomical knowledge of a science incomprehensible six or seven thousand years ago.
We are therefore facing more than a tomb. In this mountain formed by two million six hundred thousand blocks of stone, carrying assembled and who knows how, with a total volume of more than two and a half million cubic meters and weighing more than seven million tonnes, the Great Pyramid is a church and science and perhaps to also be a grave
2. Art at the Pyramids of Egypt
When Napoleon went to Egypt, arrived in Giza, the three Great Pyramids of Cheops, Kefrén and Mikerinos that adorn the plain, impressed the traveler, who was an admirer of all manifestations of power of ancient kings.
Napoleon gave a series of mathematical calculations on the amount of stone used in buildings. He used the stone to be sufficient to surround France with a wall of three meters in height and 40 centimeters thick. The mathematician monk, who accompanied Napoleon confirmed these calculations. Today it is thought that only the great pyramid of Cheops is comprised of approximately 2,300,000 blocks of stone, which weighed an average of two and a half tonnes each. Clear that this is the largest of the pyramids with a height of 146.59 meters, and in some ways marks the maximum development in the construction of these tombs, both for its size and scale of resources employed in its erection.
Because of their constructions
The pyramid was designed to inviolable sovereign's tomb, for the eternal preservation of his body, uncorrupted by embalming, and his funeral layette. Only in this way allowed the residence of the soul in the body and its survival in the world beyond. To protect the body and potential looters layettes multiplied the difficulties of access to the camera, bringing tons of stone, with false doors, corridors and blind, double cameras, etc.. All this was useless: the looters always succeeded in its objective and the ancient pyramids were robbed and raped and became what is now the symbol of Egypt for his art and his theocratic political system. Despite the great progress that has Egyptology, particularly so far this century, is still much that is unknown about how a pyramid was built.
To ensure the life in the afterlife, the deceased's body should be preserved and had to be satisfied when material needs that had lived. This idea was dominant and decisive condition of life in all periods of ancient Egypt. Already in the Predynastic era was possible to adequately preserve the corpse. Then buried in rectangular holes dug in the sand, which sometimes have walls of pressed wood or clay. Beside the body was available tools, weapons and food. Closed the tomb, it was covered with a mound of sand and fill.
Usually occur over time that sand was displaced by the wind, the mound and finally disappeared, the body is exposed to the elements and lost. To avoid this danger, and the dynasty was the high position and the Kings were built over the mound of sand, a mud and brick structure. The "master", to be emulated in appearance to the deceased lived in homes where lived. The kings of the Third Dynasty began to use stone for their funerary monuments, but its use is not widespread in the tombs of nobles and dignitaries to the Fourth Dynasty.
The stepped pyramid
The first ever built of stone tomb is attributed to Imhotep, the architect of Zóser. The name of this architect was found at the foot of a statue of the pharaoh, near the tomb. Imhotep's achievements were already legendary in antiquity.
Was not built in isolation but as part of a set of stone buildings and courtyards in a variety of funeral ceremonies dedicated to the pharaoh. The core of the monument consists of a solid structure as an elongated box whose interior is made up of blocks of stone brought from near and outside of fine limestone from the quarries of Tura, more distant. On the north side had begun to build a funerary temple, but before it was completed it was decided to extend the pyramid for its north and west facades. Finally a last extension of the pyramid affect its four sides. Completed the six steps and took in the whole of Tura limestone. The underground part of the package consisted of a deep well that gave access to a complicated maze of corridors and chambers of various sizes.
Classical pyramids
It is clear that the pyramid as we understand it today, a monument of a square base and sides ramp to the summit, is derived from the stepped pyramid. Fortunately you can see this transition through the study of the remains of a partially destroyed in Meidum pyramid. This pyramid was made up of a nucleus composed of several layers of stone that decreased in height from the center toward the sides and supported on a central body at an angle of 75 degrees.
It seems that this same method was used by the builders of the pyramids of the V Dynasty. Not absolutely sure, however, that the three pyramids of Giza were built according to this system. As a general rule, the royal tomb was to be located west of the Nile, where the sun sets, and above the river, to prevent the periodic flooding affect the monument.
The pyramid construction.
The stone for the exterior of the pyramid is obtained from the Tura quarries on the eastern edge of the Nile, near the foothills of Mugattan. The tools used for this study consisted of excellent copper tools, including saws capable of cutting any type of limestone. More problematic is to think as hard as could remove the granite stones. Some argue that the use of granite was delayed and, at first, the Egyptians were content to take the blocks loose surface. The number of workers needed to build a pyramid should necessarily be huge.
Herodotus says that the pyramid of Cheops tirelessly worked one hundred thousand men in turns three months for twenty years. When leaving the blocks from the quarry had to be transported to the place of construction. While some reached the two hundred tons, river transport should not present too many problems. Take the time to flood in heavy rafts, drag the material to the edge closest to the monument under construction. Then be transported by land-based sleds on the block to say with the help of ropes. The sleigh tracks on deslizarían be prepared for the purpose for which iban placed rollers. The construction of the exterior of the pyramid is still the domain of speculation.
A plausible explanation would be to just build a ramp to cover a supply side of the pyramid. The other three would be covered by embankments steeper slope. As the winning pyramid height, the ramp also grew and stretched to correspond to the narrowing of the pyramid so as to avoid any risk of collapse. The three sides of the pyramid that had no ramp embankments were equipped with sufficient width at the top to allow the passage of men and materials. But as these embankments were not used for raising stones, which was the function of the ramp, its gradient at the surface would be compatible with the maximum slope determination.
Wooden beams, some of which have been found by archaeologists, were placed on the surface of the ramp and embankments to provide a firm basis to transport sleds. The pyramid would grow gradually narrow and carefully until it would need only a single block, pyramid-shaped precisely to fill in your height, this stone is carved in granite.
Chambers and passageways
It remains to address the problem of how to incorporate the work the corridors and rooms that are inside the pyramids. It seems that, as they occupy a small part of the building would be built independently of them. Possibly, ramps and subsidiaries would rise rapidly dismantled as required, so that the prefabricated blocks passageways and chambers for the required level would rise higher than the rest of the construction fill. Thus, workers engaged in this work would have had time to finish before the layers of masonry of the pyramid reached its level. After the pyramid would work till the outer surface that had been hidden by ramp embankments. Still be some minor work to be done around the pyramid, which had a mortuary temple, the corridor of the Avenue and other adjacent works.
6. Things after the Pyramids of Egypt.
One surprise in the desert.
His contemplation overwhelmed the mood. Upright on the sand of
the desert, the Pyramids of Egypt, slender majestic, are more than a
temple and a tomb. To them, especially the Great Pyramid, one has the
impression of being in the presence of a monument which is reaching
into their secrets very closely related to its structure. They have a
perfect geometric figures that can be described as magical, but in fact
it should be as natural as the cosmic forces that intervinieren in
effect. The builders of the pyramids knew, and we must try to know too.
A walk on the sunny horizon Jufu
The downside of the erosion and looting suffered over the
millennia by the Great Pyramid made it impossible to determine the
exact measurements, nor with the finest of care can be guaranteed a
minimum of ten centimeters error, especially as it refers to the length
of the sides of the base and the height of the monument, on which
measures they are resting almost all calculations piramidológicos.
Egyptian Mysteries
In the twenties, archeology celebrated a success:
His great contribution to research produced later
Egyptologists to discover in the Valley of the Kings, the intact tomb
of an unknown pharaoh was mummified dead and about three thousand
years. But soon the excitement lasted. The finding also made by most
other scientists had to turn the world of the occult: I entered the
burial chamber, or was somehow related to the mummy, died mysteriously.
In the six years after the discovery, the number was 35 dead and today,
even with the strongest scientific theories, it seems that the curse of
the mummies has won the battle.
When English archaeologist Howard Carter opened the burial
chamber of Tutankhamen at 5 pm on Friday, February 17, 1923, between
taxes and gold tableware full of seeds around the sarcophagus, the
group of scientists recently discovered a shiny trail of mud with
hieroglyphic characters in a sentence: "The beating death who disturb
the sleep of the Pharaoh."
The Curse of the King-God
With good reason it is presumed that most of the tombs of the
kings of ancient dynastic Egypt contained warnings of this nature. It
is also known that almost all the tombs have become empty mummy
chambers, stelae, dishes of seeds and of course, precious. That
rationale does not know who ever suffered the terrible consequences
that ignored the warnings of the high priests.
All that the twentieth century was in its first decade was
based on legends, stories on word of mouth that had the suffering of
any grave robber, or curses that accompanied a given object found in a
burial chamber, next to a mummy. Indeed, things were so ambiguous that
until Friday afternoon that Carter and his entourage of officials and
archaeologists entered Tutankhamen's tomb where he had rested away from
the living world for 3259 years.
A few months earlier when Carter discovered the hall in which
the site was end of the pharaoh, desert dwellers are alarmed. In those
days a cobra (animal protector of the Egyptian priests) had eaten the
canary, and that Carter did not go for being a pain, for the heirs of
the ancient civilizations of the Nile, was an announcement of future
catastrophes.
A few weeks after admission to the mortuary chamber where the
world of archeology celebrating the triumph of one of their own, the
mood of the occult was started a decade as bright as the gold mask of
the legendary god-king. Lord Carnarvon, English dandy, a lover of the
good life and adventures, partner of Carter in their wanderings
Egyptian dies in a hospital in Cairo. One of the first to enter the
tomb of Tutankhamun, was bitten by a mosquito in the face, he formed a
wound infection, went into the sort of feverish coma and died thirteen
days to terrified Egyptians feared the curses of pharaoh. Before the
end Caranvon tells his sister that he had called Tutankhamun and would
meet with him. At the same time, in England, the dog was dying
philanthropist by thunder stroke.
Born Legend
Lord Carnarvon's death sparked a worldwide understandable by
the occult fever: spiritists all latitudes reported on "communications"
of priests of ancient Egypt carrying messages terrible, the curse of
the pharaoh became a central issue for many years, including literature
and film took the issue to make it even more sensational. However,
there were reasons for the legend increased.
The archaeologist Arthur Mace Group Carter, inexplicably dies
after a deep coma at the same hotel where Carnarvon (at your last
posting) was the meeting of Tutankhamen. Joel Woolf, English
philanthropist and friend of the owner of the first photos taken at the
mortuary chamber, dies for reasons not defined, just as Richard
Bethell, secretary of Carter.
In the long and frightening list of presumed dead by the curse
of the mummy, it is remarkable to the sister of Lord Carnarvon, Aubrey
Herbert, who committed suicide in London, the wife of the
philanthropist, Almina, who died suddenly after visiting the tomb ; Dr.
Archibald Reid, who had been tasked to take radiographs of the mummy
and died thunder when nobody expected it, Lee Stack and George Gould,
both killed after visiting the burial chamber, and several museum
directors, physicians, archaeologists and People linked to the first
men who entered the tomb in the Valley of the Kings. To be exact, to
six years of discovery and totaled 35 people killed in mysterious way
they had in common one thing: the mummy of Tutankhamun.
However, as already stated, this pharaoh died teenager, who
had not received a line in the history of treaty unless it was
fortunate that his tomb was found intact, it was not the only one to
feel their curses.
In 1879 he had discovered the mummy of the priest Khapah Amon
with the following threat: "The charge that this is over my head comes
with flames of fire of those who disturb my body. Intruder will be
attacked by wild beasts, your body will have no grave, and their bones
are washed by the rain. " Soon an English (Lord Harring) was crushed by
an elephant, abandoned his body and his flesh and his bones scattered
by heavy rains. It was the collector who had bought the mummy of Amon
Khapah.
Something similar happened to the legend of the Titanic, one
of the darkest chapters in the history of navigation. It is known that
there were over a thousand people and there have been many speculations
about why she sank a transatlantic considered the safest in the world.
What little is known is that one of the passengers drowned, Lord
Canterville, carried on the boat near the bridge, the mummy of a
fortune-teller who served during the reign of Amenhotep IV. It was a
bracelet with the following legend: "Wake your prostration and
lightning of your eyes to annihilate all those who wanted to take over
you."
7. Possible Causes
Sean's magical order or purely scientific, the truth is that
few deaths are not linked to the strange discovery of the tomb of
Tutankhamun and other mummies. Of course, the source of these deaths
were investigated by those who are not satisfied with the explanation
magic. In this way there was talk of contact poisons which do not
expire toxic properties, toxic gas produced by decomposition and
confinement; toxic fungi deposited in the tombs of high priests (The
British Medical Journal the risk theory that Lord Carnarvon died
playing in a dish called a pathogenic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum).
To exhaust the scientific arsenal, a few years ago scientists
believe that nuclear Bulgarini Egyptians already knew that atomic
energy and in that context that might have used radioactive uranium to
protect the kings of the layman.
For many years no one speaks of the curse of the mummies. The
skeptics seem to have won the battle, as any recent episode linked to
objects "cursed" death row, are quickly shelved. Reality is that the
theories based on radioactive poisons and gases, may well explain some
of the deaths, and no accidents or suicides, even though they are
produced by suggestion.
By chance, we know, there is but a sum of them is always something more than mere coincidence.
Conclusions
* The great temples, tombs and pyramids overtime in the Nile
Valley in Egypt have made a fascinating place, a source of inspiration
for the traveler, from approximately the last three thousand years.
* The Egyptians executed masterpieces with very rudimentary
tools. Developed a magnificent art and shown in the tombs they built
and the decorations and furniture that are a rich source to learn about
their beliefs, hopes and ideals, and consequently his art, that of any
other civilization of seniority.
* My research work is oriented towards the Egyptian culture
and I find it very interesting that everything connected with this way
of being and living.
* More important than housing (temporary residence) were the
Egyptians to their graves, where they hoped to spend eternity. The
prehistoric tombs were covered by mounds of loose sand or stone, but
the wind swept desert sands and jackals dig through the stones.
* The ancient Egyptians believed that after death the spirit
of the deceased continued to live and to make every effort to ensure
that they enjoy life ultraterrena.
* During the Ancient Empire only the pharaohs were entitled to
move to the future life. Since coming to New Empire (11 centuries
later), all Egyptians could participate.
* To achieve this, using compounds of salts, spices and resins
dried and preserved body crumpled into a mummy, then filled it and
wrapped it in fine linen bandages.
* The workers worked in teams of 18 or 20, going up the heavy stone blocks on ramps to put in place.
* To facilitate lifting the blocks, they were swept by ramps, three to go up and down.
* The greatness lies in the quality and duration of the art, in this case, the symmetry of mass seen in the pyramids.
* Currently, the pyramids of Egypt were a source of admiration
and interest, the majesty has endured and will continue until the time
survived the collapse succeed.
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