LESSON 3.6 What is the truth about the pyramids?
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this lesson you should be able to: • explain why ancient Egyptians built the pyramids and how they are signiýcant • evaluate theories on how they constructed these structures.
Tune in The Great Pyramid of Khufu, 150 metres tall, is Egypt’s most famous legacy. It is made of 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing around 2.5 tonnes, heavier than an adult rhinoceros!
SOURCE1 The Great Pyramid of Khufu with the Sphinx in the foreground
1. What questions do you have about the pyramids? 2. In groups, formulate a hypothesis about how the Great Pyramid was built and present it to the class. 3. Challenge each hypothesis with questions. No Googling!
3.6.1 Pyramids and hidden tombs Built around 4500 years ago, Egypt’s 80 pyramids are the oldest human-made structures. The three at Giza are the most impressive. How they were built is unknown, but Egyptians used simple tools. From 2500 BCE, pharaohs were buried in pyramids for about 500 years until tomb raiders became a problem. Later, tombs in the Valley of the Kings were mostly raided, except for Tutankhamun’s tomb. The Great Pyramid at Giza, built around 2550 BCE, was for Pharaoh Khufu. The other two pyramids were for his son Khafre and grandson Menkure. The Great Pyramid stands nearly 150 metres high and is made of 2.3 million granite blocks, each weighing about 2.5 tonnes.
TOPIC3 Ancient Egypt 97
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