The Evolution of Egyptian

Pyramid Construction
Mastaba
Mastaba
“House of eternity”
Traced back to Pharaoh Aha (2686 BCE)
Designed as protection for the mummy
Tombs carved into the bedrock and
covered with mud bricks with enclosures
on the sides
◦ Early mastabas not good as sand would blow
away and bodies were eaten by jackals
Djoser’s Step Pyramid at
Saqqara
Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara
2650 BCE
Pharaoh Djoser was 2nd Old Kingdom
Imhotep was his brilliant Vizier/Architect
First major stone building (limestone)
◦ Symbolic meaning: stone immortalizes Djoser,
preserving him from slow erosion of time
Layers of mastabas placed on top of each
other
6 steps (layers) rise to height of 60 metres
Snefru’s Step Pyramid at Meidum
Snefru’s Step Pyramid at Meidum
2613-2589 BCE
Snefru is Khufu’s father
First above ground burial chamber
Ceiling bears the weight of the pyramid
Interior chambers never finished
◦ But innovation in corbelled ceiling
First attempt at a true pyramid failed as
smooth facing stones slipped off the sides
of the seven layers (and were later
removed as late as the 19th century)
Snefru’s Bent Pyramid at Dashur
Snefru’s Bent Pyramid at Dashur
Firstattempt at the classic shape
Built on gravel and not solid bedrock
Inside it is very dangerous because burial
chamber is held together with huge cedar
beams
Much larger casing stones used
Casing blocks inclined inward
At nearly 50% complete, the internal chambers
and the corners started to crack
Unprecedented two burial chambers, each with
a separate entrance
Snefru’s Red Pyramid
Snefru’s Red Pyramid
First true pyramid
◦ 3rd time’s a charm for Snefru!
Built on a smaller scale and at a 43 degree
angle to reduce the time of construction
Mortuary chapel was now moved to
eastern side from traditional northern side
Great Pyramid of Khufu
Great Pyramid of Khufu
Designed by Hemuinu, Khufu’s cousin
Built for 4th Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu
Completed around 2560 BCE
Base built on cardinal points of a compass
Pyramid of Khafra
Pyramid of Khafra
Khafra is the son of Khufu (2558-2532
BCE)
Second largest of the pyramids
◦ Illusion of being the largest due to higher
elevation of land (10 metres higher)
Made from limestone
Steeper angle
Pyramid of Menkaure
Pyramid of Menkaure
Succeeded Khafra as Phraraoh (c. 2620
BC–2480 BCE)
Constructed of limestone and granite
There are three subsidiary pyramids
associated with Menkaure's pyramid,
possibly for his Queens