CLAS 1120Q / ARCH 1707 THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD MWF 12 – 12:50 p.m. Rhode Island Hall 108 Prof. John Cherry Class 6 September 21, 2015 THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA (I): Introduction

The Pyramids at Giza Khufu Khafra Menkaura

The Giza Plateau, Egypt Khufu Khafra Menkaura

Mastaba field Temples Causeway Smaller pyramids Sphinx Temples Causeway

Schematic drawing of a mastaba (‘house for eternity’)

The Giza Pyramid Complex

Elements of the standard pyramid complex by the 4 th Dynasty: Pyramid Enclosure walls Mortuary temple Covered causeway Valley mortuary temple

Pyramid of Khufu [Greek: Cheops] c B.C.

The Narmer palette The powerful symbolic expression of the creation of a unified Egyptian state under its first Pharoah Menes, ca B.C.

Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara First pharaoh 3 rd Dynasty ca. 2695

Djoser’s Step Pyramid complex

Evolution of true pyramid design Sneferu (first king, 4 th dynasty, c BC) The “Bent Pyramid”: 54 degree, then 43 degree angles. Much of original polished limestone casing remains intact.

Khufu’s pyramid

Pyramid of Khufu: facts and figures Period of construction: ca. 23 years Length of base: m. Height: m. Inclination of sides: ca. 51 degrees Average deviation from true north: 0 o 3’ 6” Volume: 2,600,000 cubic m. Number of blocks used: ca. 2,300,000 Average block weight: ca. 2.5 tonnes Weight of granite roofing blocks: tonnes Size of workforce: 20,000-30,000

Casing blocks at base of Menkaure’s pyramid

Workers’ town 400 m east of Menkaure’s Valley Temple

The hidden entrance to Khufu’s pyramid

PHILO OF BYZANTIUM ON THE PYRAMIDS IN MEMPHIS While it is impossible to build the pyramids in Memphis [today], it is marvelous to describe them. Mountains have been built on mountains. The sheer size of the squared masonry is difficult for the mind to grasp, and everyone is mystified at the enormous strength that was required to prize up such a weight of material. A four-cornered base was set down, and hewn stones make up the foundations which are of the same dimensions as the height of each structure above ground. Gradually the whole work was brought up into a pyramid, tapering to a point. Its height is 500 feet and the distance around the base is 3,600 feet. The whole polished work is joined together so seamlessly that it seems to be made out of one continuous rock. But in fact different colors and types of stone have been used in its construction: here there is white marble, here there is black African stone. Then there is also what is called 'the blood red stone’ and a stone of variegated translucent green, brought, so they say, from Arabia. The colors of some of the stones re a dark glass-green, others are almost quince-yellow, while yet others have a color that is likened to the purple in conch-shells. To one's astonishment is added pleasure, to one's admiration respect, and to its lavishness splendour. The ascent is no less long or tiring than a road journey. Standing on the top and looking down, one can only dimly see the bottom. Royal wealth has woven extravagant expense alongside a pleasing array of colors. May its fortune boast that it believes that with its extraordinary expense it can touch the very stars, for it is through deeds such as these that men go up to the gods, or that gods come down to men.

Corbeled Grand Gallery King’s chamber

Internal layout of Khufu pyramid

The Khufu ship 143 ft long x 19.5 ft wide Sealed in a bedrock pit at the south edge of the Khufu pyramid. Discovered only in Found disassembled in 1,223 cedarwood pieces (75’ to 4” in size) A “solar barge” (a ritual vessel designed to carry the resurrected king with the sun-god Ra) May have carried the king’s embalmed body from Memphis to Giza — i.e., a boat used in a real funeral voyage that afterwards had to be ritually buried