The Pyramids Research Paper

"It's something I wondered about for years. Many times when I looked at the pyramids, I would ask myself about the workers who built them. Where were they buried? Who were the men and women behind this great enterprise?” These are the thoughts and feeling of Dr. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist and Egyptian archaeologist whose crew unearthed the tombs of pyramid builders and discovered important aspects of ancient Egypt that are relevant to the pyramids. Dr. Hawass is not alone in the curiosity he experienced in regards to the ancient pyramids; there are myriads of people that have shared his sentiments over the course of history. The pyramids are a fascinating subject that has never ceased to capture the interest of those that have experienced

The oldest that has been discovered is the step pyramid that was built for King Djoser around 2,680 B.C. This pyramid was also the first large building that was made with nothing but stone. The largest of the pyramids is the Great Pyramid of Khufu, an ancient Pharaoh. It spans across thirteen acres of land and is made of 2,250,000 blocks of stone, with each block weighing an average of 5,000 pounds. Even today, constructions like these would be an impressive feat. The fact that these pyramids were constructed thousands of years ago with such limited technology, though, makes them one of the most extraordinary architectural accomplishments in the history of the world. This is an opinion that is shared by people from all walks of life, as illustrated in an article titled “The Wonders of the Pyramids,” by Geraldine Woods. “In a travel guide for ancient tourists,” Woods writes, “the Greek writer Philon called the Great Pyramid at Giza one of the wonders of the world. Scientists who have studied the construction of the pyramids would agree--these monumental structures are indeed one of the most remarkable achievements of ancient

It is a common misconception that the pyramids were built by slaves or foreigners. Egyptologist and Egyptian Zahi Hawass has unearthed many Egyptian pyramids and tombs and is very knowledgeable in this field. He stresses that this concept of slaves as the pyramid builders came from the Greek explorer and historian Herodotus, but that he was misinformed. It was actually ordinary Egyptian citizens who built the pyramids. Some of them worked on a rotating basis and some of them worked full-time. Dr. Hawass has estimated that the pyramids were constructed with a workforce of only 20,000 to 30,000 men. It is astounding that these men were able to accomplish this without the assistance of animals or complex machines. Discussing these workers, Dr. Hawass said, "They were proud of their work… because they were not just building the tomb of their king. They were building Egypt. It was a national project, and everyone was a