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ARCHITECTURE & BUILDING |
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The ancient Egyptians were the first and greatest builders known to humanity. From the earliest times they knew how to design and build with brick and stone. They attained unmatched architectural and engineering skills. It is a great mystery. How did the Egyptians build with such precision and perfection? Move so many massive stone blocks? Drill and carve the hardest rock? And do this with primitive Copper Age tools? We do not know. Some wonder whether we could duplicate their achievements -- even with today's equipment. (See more)
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PYRAMIDS TEMPLES OBELISKS & PYLONS ELEMENTS |
CITIES FORTRESSES PALACES HOMES |
ARCHITECTS BUILDERS MATERIALS TOOLS |
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Many of the pyramids were built with a number of different stone materials. Most of the material used was fairly rough, low grade limestone used to build the pyramid core, while fine white limestone was often employed for the outer casing as well as to cover interior walls, though pink granite was also often used on inner walls. Basalt or alabaster was not uncommon for floors, particularly in the mortuary temples and as was mudbricks to build walls within the temples (though often as not they had limestone walls). | ||||
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In a society where precious metals were not considered a special means of exchange and were mostly in the hands of the pharaohs and the temples, wealth was equal with possession of land. Theoretically all the land belonged to the pharaoh who could dispose of it at will. Large tracts were given to the military, above all during times of unrest when the kings needed their support and were unable to recompense them in any other way. Officials were also beneficiaries of such royal munificence. But most of the land came to be owned outright by the temples and the peasantry. A considerable amount of wealth was invested in the building of tombs and the services following burial, which were supposed to go on for ever. One of the moral duties of the nobility and the wealthy in general was the ferrying across the river of people who had no boat. (Other duties were the feeding of the hungry and clothing of the poor, and, as happens with most moral obligations, rarely observed). Some made sure that the gods would know that they had obeyed them in this life. Under the sixth dynasty Sheshi, in his own words, brought the boatless to land. He went even further and made a boat for him who lacked one. A few centuries later Qedes was more modest in his claims: |
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