#mastabas

Saqqara

Egypt

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation - Pyramid, Mastabas (Part 1):

“Well, time to talk about a pretty big level. So big that I will have to make two gifsets. Climbing the pyramid is one of my favorite moments in this game, so this is a perfect level for me. A big focus on exploration, shooting and of course...platforming. I really like this level. It may not be an easy one, but it sure is fun.”

The pyramid complex at Giza was built in the 4th Dynasty, during three generations of pharaohs – Khufu (Great Pyramid of Giza), Khafre (Pyramid of Khafre), and Menkaure (Pyramid of Menkaure).  The complex contains on a grand scale all of the architectural features associated with royal tombs.

Thousands of blocks of stone were transported along the river, and then dragged by sled to the edge of the desert, to build the pyramid. The Great Pyramid of Giza is considered the peak of Egyptian pyramidal architecture, and has been influential on modern architecture – for example, the Louvre has the same form.

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest one – 146m high, covering an area of 52,000 square metres.  On each side, a pit was dug and a boat put in, so that the pharaoh's spirit could travel freely.  The Funerary Ship of Khufu was reconstructed from the remains found in one of these boat pits.

Funerary Ship of Khufu; a boat pit next to the causeway, with stairs going into it.

The three pyramids lie in a nearly-diagonal line, with their mortuary temples on the east side, facing towards the Nile.  To the west, a mastaba cemetery housed the bodies of high officials.

Map of the pyramid complex.

East Field of Mastabas.

West Field of Mastabas.

The Sphinx was built in association with the Pyramid of Khafre, out of a single outcrop of limestone.  It is a lion with a pharaoh's head, head-dress and false beard.  The Sphinx was a the guardian of the royal tombs, and it is the earliest-surviving example of this form.

The Sphinx.

The king & queen's burial chambers, and an underground chamber, were accessed through 3 stone-lined corridors (descending & ascending).  The longest is over 100m, and they are undecorated.  They were a passage for the deceased.

Internal structure of the pyramids.

The king's chamber was roofed with 5 tiers (each built of 9 stone slaps), one above the other, with relief chambers in between.  Above these tiers was a vault of two relieving stones.  Two narrow shafts led from the chamber to the outside.  The king's chamber was separated from the gallery by an antechamber, which was protected by a portcullis.

The pyramids were originally cased in limestone, and the reflection of sunlight would have been dazzling (perhaps intended to associate the dead pharaoh with Ra).  A pyramidion would have capped the pyramid – a gilded, pyramid-shaped stone with prayers inscribed on it.

A pyramidion from the private tomb of Amenhotep-Huy.

The Great Pyramid's core was made of thousands of locally-quarried blocks, weighing 2.5 tonnes each on average.  They were transported by human power to the site, and then manoeuvred into position, with the help of a thin lime mortar lubricant.

Most of Egypt's pyramids are made of core stones which fill the bulk of the pyramid.  They were built up in tiers, making a crude step pyramid, and then masonry (packing stones) filled in the steps.  A softer stone (packing stone) was put between the core and casing; and finally the pyramid was cased in a smooth outer layer of limestone or granite.

Four relieving stones were placed on top of the pyramid's entrance, to relieve it of much of the weight from above.  This shows that the Egyptians understood how to apply physics to monumental architecture. The entrance was then sealed and covered in limestone casing, increasing security by making it invisible from the outside.

Entrance to the Great Pyramid of Giza.  The relieving stones form the upside-down double V.

The ascending gallery leads to two levels of chambers (the king's & queen's burial chambers).  It is made up of seven projecting courses, each one supporting the one above it (corbelling!)  It is undecorated, reflecting the “restrained monumentalism of the pyramid with the continued use of large-scale masonry”.

Tomb Raider: Last Revelation -  Pyramid, Mastabas (Part 2):

“Second part of the Pyramid, Mastabas post and I kind of regret making this one. I’ve though there was a lot more content left for me to talk about, but honestly I could have added 2 extra gifs on the previous post. Either way, let’s admire the beauty of this level and the awesome amount of action going on in it.”

Egypt: Why archaeologists were ‘terrified by lifelike discovery’ hidden in Pyramid

(THIS ARTICLE IS COURTESY OF THE UK EXPRESS NEWS)

  Egypt exposed: Why archaeologists were ‘terrified by lifelike discovery’ hidden in Pyramid ARCHAEOLOGISTS were left “terrified” after making a “lifelike” discovery in the Pyramid of Meidum, that is helping to piece together one region of this astonishing ancient civilization. By CALLUM HOAREPUBLISHED: 06:47, Mon, Dec 23, 2019 |…

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