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Ancient Egypt
Posted by CB Magazine on Monday, May 30, 2016 |
history
Ancient
Egypt – the land of the pharaohs – is one of the oldest civilizations in the
world. Its monumental tombs and temples, decorated with reliefs and
hieroglyphs, have been the source of awe and admiration for millennia. Art and
crafts of great beauty, and well preserved organic evidence (especially
mummies) have added to ancient Egypt’s fascination. “How did they do it?”
is a question, often asked about the ancient Egyptians, that has sometimes
given rise to highly speculative and fantastical explanations. For
example, it has been suggested that the Great Pyramid at Giza (built by
Khufu in the 4 th Dynasty), which was the largest structure in
the world until the 19th century ad, and other Egyptian monuments,
could not have been built without the technological and mathematical knowledge
of an earlier civilization – the fictitious lost continent of Atlantis.
But there were no earlier civilizations anywhere in the world and such an
explanation is based entirely on fanciful beliefs which do not credit the
ancient Egyptians with the intelligence and ability to organize and carry
out such a project.
A closer
look at the archaeological evidence provides information about how the
Egyptians built their monuments. At Khufu’s pyramid there is evidence of
rectangular cuts in the bedrock used by ancient surveyors, and the remains
of pyramid construction ramps have been identified to the south of the
three kings’ pyramids at Giza. Evidence of ancient stone quarries at Giza
has also been located. Graffiti naming gangs of workmen can still be seen
on blocks used to build the pyramids, and are found in stress relieving
spaces above the burial chamber in the Great Pyramid.
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