There is still so much we don’t know about the history and structure of the Egyptian pyramids. Here are six things that you may not have known about the pyramids and ancient Egypt.
Egyptian pyramids in the sunset. Club Med UK. CC BY-NC 2.0.
The Egyptian pyramids are famous for their buried mummies and treasures, but there are still many secrets waiting to be uncovered about their history. Take a deep look into the ancient pyramids’ past with these six interesting facts.
The seven wonders of the world, Egyptian pyramids. Boston Public Library. CC BY 2.0.
1. Once upon a time, they sparkled.
According to research on ancient texts and found evidence, it is thought that the Great Pyramid of Giza used to shine like glass and sparkle in the sunlight. Ancient Egyptians even called the pyramid “Ikhet,” which translates to “glorious light.” This is mainly because the pyramid was originally covered in polished limestone which reflected light like a mirror and made the pyramids visible from anywhere nearby. What is even more interesting is that the speed of light—299,792,458 m/s—are also the exact coordinates of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which is at 29.9792 degrees north, 31.1342 degrees east. Spooky? Definitely.
Entering the pyramid. Trey Ratcliff. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
2. Many of them were robbed.
A lot of the unknown history of the pyramids can be blamed on tomb robbers. Tomb robbing was a serious problem in ancient Egypt because robbers targeted the tombs for looting—even Kings’ tombs were broken into. It was the Egyptian belief that everything buried with you was taken into the afterlife, so Kings and Queens were buried with unimaginable amounts of riches. It was also very common for people to steal from their ancestors’ tombs —some even dumped the body and stole the sarcophagus. Egypt was a cashless society until the Persians came in 525 BCE, so those who stole from the tombs would have had to trade their stolen goods to higher, corrupt officials. Those caught would be executed for the offense.
The Great Pyramid of Cheops. Boston Public Library. CC BY 2.0.
3. We still don’t know how they were built.
Although the pyramids are over 4,000 years old, professionals still don’t understand how the ancient Egyptians managed to build the pyramids without advanced technology. The most accepted theory is that they used ramps to bring materials to the top, which has been proven by a recent discovery. Researchers in Egypt discovered a 4,500-year-old ramp used to haul alabaster stones out of a quarry. The ramp system dates back to Pharaoh Khufu, who built the Great Pyramid of Giza. However, the way in which the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids is still a mystery because the pyramids were not made of alabaster, which is what the discovered ramp helped to move.
Khufu’s Great Pyramid. Bernt Rostad. CC BY 2.0.
4. There is a secret chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu’s Pyramid).
Weighing in at 5,750,000 tons, the Great Pyramid is simply a feat of architecture. To add further to the mystery, a previously unidentified chamber in the Great Pyramid was discovered in 2017 when physicists used the by-products of cosmic rays to reveal an at least 100-foot long void. The mysterious space’s dimensions are similar to the pyramid’s Grand Gallery, which is the corridor that leads to the burial chamber of Pharaoh Khufu. What lies within the space is still unknown, as well as its purpose. Scientists hope to find out more about this newly discovered area and what it was used for.
Tomb of Perneb, carving of offering bearers. Peter Roan. CC BY-NC 2.0.
5. It was tradition for the living to share food with the dead.
Ancient Egyptians believed that tombs were eternal homes for the mummified bodies and the ka spirits that lived within them. Each tomb had a tomb-chapel where families and priests could visit the deceased and leave offerings for the ka, while a hidden burial chamber protected the mummified bodies from potential harm. Visitors offered food and drink to the dead daily, and once the offerings were consumed by the ka, the living were free to eat and drink their offerings. The Beautiful Feast of the Valley was an annual festival of death and renewal where families spent the night in the tomb with their ancestors and feasted with them in celebration of their lives.
A statue ofNefertiti in the Altes Museum in Berlin. George M. Groutas. CC BY 2.0.
6. Egyptian women and men had equal rights.
In ancient Egyptian times, men and women of the same social class were treated as equals in the eyes of the law. Women could sell, own, earn, buy and inherit property. If widowed or divorced, women could raise their own children. Women could also bring cases before a court. Overall, women could legally act on their own and were responsible for their own actions. Although everyone in ancient Egypt was expected to marry, wives still had an important, equal and independent role in their marriage.
Isabelle Durso
Isabelle is an undergraduate student at Boston University currently on campus in Boston. She is double majoring in Journalism and Film & Television, and she is interested in being a travel writer and writing human-interest stories around the world. Isabelle loves to explore and experience new cultures, and she hopes to share other people's stories through her writing. In the future, she intends to keep writing journalistic articles as well as creative screenplays.