Ancient Egypt

The Early Pyramids

Djoser’s Pyramid

constructed between 2630 and 2611 BC

Exactly what is an Early Egyptian Pyramid and what was it used for?   It’s a very large stone tomb typically used for ancient Egyptian rulers / pharaohs with a square base and triangular walls that slope to meet in a point at the top.  In other words, it could be called a pretty big head stone.

The ancient Egyptians are noted builders of pyramids that were used as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. The pharaohs, along with their queens, and occasionally their servants, were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom (about 2686 BC to 2181 BC) to the end of the Middle Kingdom (about 2055 to 1650 BC).

As of 2008, there have been 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt. We all know about the three largest and best-preserved of these that were built at Giza. The ‘Great Pyramid’ of the pharaoh Khufu is unquestionably the most well-known of these.

The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found northwest of Memphis, Egypt (now in ruins) which was once the Capital City of Egypt and located near the mouth of the Nile River Delta.  The earliest among these is the Pyramid of the Pharaoh Djoser which is believed to have been constructed between 2630 and 2611 BC and is said to be the first “step Pyramid”.

It originally stood 203 feet tall (62 meters) and was covered in polished white limestone. This step pyramid (or proto-pyramid) is believed to be the earliest large-scale cut stone construction project in all of Egypt.

Djoser was the first or second king of the 3rd Dynasty of the Egyptian Old Kingdom. He is believed to have ruled for 19 years, but some Egyptologists insist that he ruled twice that long (38 years).  Regardless, he reigned long enough to have the grandiose plan for his pyramid to be completed within his lifetime.

Djoser is relatively famous because for this innovative tomb.   Of significant note though is that it has been discovered inside this tomb that he was referred to by his Horus name (sun and sky god name), Netjerykhet, not Djoser; which was a name given to him by visitors from the New Kingdom thousands of years after his demise.

His step pyramid is astounding in that it departs from all earlier Egyptian architecture. Several important precedents are set in fact; perhaps the most important is the fact that it’s the first colossal structure made of stone. The social implications of this carefully sculpted stone structure are considered staggering by the vast majority of modern archaeologists.

The process alone for building this type structure would be much more labor intensive than earlier monuments that were all made of mud and brick. This suggests at the very least that the royal government had acquired a new level of control over resources, such as building material and especially human labor.  

The step pyramid style set the stage for the later pyramids built during the 4th, 5th, and 6th Dynasties, including the great pyramids at Giza.  Finally, another intriguing fact is the identification of Imhotep; considered to be the first architect of all Egypt, and is credited with the design and construction of the Djoser complex.

By today’s standards, such a “leap” in design and construction methods may seem insignificant, yet this single advancement (which technologically speaking was enormous) has sparked the argument by some historians that these early Egyptian builders had a little help from a place far, far away.

Sources …

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/pyramids/home.html                    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids                           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser