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Well, the Great Pyramids in Giza were always known, stories were told, histories were written on papyrus; even during the time of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire they were considered ancient and iconic. But remember the old ancient Egypt pretty much collapsed and was absorbed into the Hellenistic Empire. The former capital near what is now Cairo - Memphis, pretty much declined to nothing and was moved to Alexandria on the Med. No one really worried about the pyramids except to loot from them, and the pyramids and other ancient monuments were all looted badly from ancient times until today. The Muslims took it a step further by actually defacing some of the monuments.
Really the interest came back when the Europeans came in, starting with the French (Napoleon) in the late 18th century and continuing under British occupation.
This is very interesting.
Still, I wonder why the later civilizations lost interest in the pyramids. I mean, they were massive structures that probably towered over the surrounding towns and villages. They were no Burj Khalifa, but still. Most buildings at the time must have been only a few stories high, with a possible exception of Arab minarets (towers on mosques).
i want to know what they are for. ive heard they could have been full of water and been a power source. also they could have entrances in them to the middle earth. hallow earth makes a lot of sense. thats another thing i want to know, i know the earth isnt flat at least.
I'm watching ancient aliens and they were talking about how there are hundreds of pyramids spread throughout the world and not much is known about them including the HOW they were built, WHEN and the most important the WHY?
What I think is odd is that throughout the world there is no one that knows the answers to these questions.
In some case the peoples who built their pyramids are long gone but that is not the case in Egypt. One would think that there would have been something passed down through the centuries in either written or oral tradition.
The main pyramids in Giza have always been there looming over the city so one would think that a child would ask their grandparent what are those things and the story would be told and repeated over and over again through the centuries to today but somewhere the stories stopped.
My wife thinks that there was something evil about the pyramids so when the child asked they were told that we don't talk about those things and the story died.
Who knows but it does seem odd that given hundreds of pyramids all over the world that there isn't someone who kept the stories alive and passed them down through the generations.
Ideas ?
OK, you should know that Ancient Aliens is for entertainment and making some people money.
Here is a video you can look through and make your own decision on Ancient Aliens:
Beyond that, yes information has been lost in the last few thousand years. I am not why that surprises anyone? Much of the Egyptian scrolls may have been lost with the Library of Alexandra.
Then beyond that what is special about pyramids? It is not like we needed aliens, in advanced spaceships, with advanced technology to cross light years and tell us how to build a pile of dirt or rocks:
If it is not the simplest structure to make it is right up there. If there were an advanced culture involved why not help humans build something like this:
And teach humans how to make advanced alloys and concrete instead of letting them work with stone, dirt, wood, leather and hemp?
Still, I wonder why the later civilizations lost interest in the pyramids. I mean, they were massive structures that probably towered over the surrounding towns and villages. They were no Burj Khalifa, but still. Most buildings at the time must have been only a few stories high, with a possible exception of Arab minarets (towers on mosques).
Well these pyramids had some religious and spiritual connections, many of these stories are recited and handed down by priests, and old Gods get replaced by new Gods and these old priests are replaced and the pyramids lose there important religious significance and turn into what they actually are - 500 foot limestone tombs, nothing more.
There was an Ancient Greek historian names Herodotus, and like I said even in Ancient Greece in the 5th century BC, the Great Pyramids were considered ancient. He visited the Pyramids and chronicled it's history based on observation and, indeed, by talking to some old priests that still could account for the handed-down history to some degree...so it was there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sorupaa
i want to know what they are for. ive heard they could have been full of water and been a power source. also they could have entrances in them to the middle earth. hallow earth makes a lot of sense. thats another thing i want to know, i know the earth isnt flat at least.
No they are not mysterious entrances that allow one to enter a book series created by JRR Tolkein (Middle Earth). There is no mystery over pyramids, no power source, no mythical elements, it just happens to be the easiest object to construct.
Then beyond that what is special about pyramids? It is not like we needed aliens, in advanced spaceships, with advanced technology to cross light years and tell us how to build a pile of dirt or rocks:
Egyptian pyramids as we know them were not "piles of dirt or rocks". They contained elaborate constructions of tunnels and chambers. both above and under ground. The innermost chamber was the pharaoh's resting place. On the other hand, their predecessors, stepped pyramids, were stacked piles of rocks on top of a mastaba (a low-slung burial structure, shaped like a pyramid with most of the top part cut off.) And before stepped pyramids came about, mastabas by themselves were used.
The Chicago Field Museum has a two-story replica of an Egyptian pyramid interior; I strongly recommend seeing it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
Well these pyramids had some religious and spiritual connections, many of these stories are recited and handed down by priests, and old Gods get replaced by new Gods and these old priests are replaced and the pyramids lose there important religious significance and turn into what they actually are - 500 foot limestone tombs, nothing more.
Good explanation. I wanted to rep you, but I gotta spread it around first.
Egyptian pyramids - burial places for pharaohs, who were the embodiment of order in the universe so their journey to the afterlife was essential to the continuation of society.
Mesopotamian ziggurats - a bridge between earth and heaven, the axis mundi, where the priests and the king could meet with the gods. They weren't burial places like the Egyptian pyramids (I remember in a seminary class the prof talking about a new year ceremony in Sumer where the king would ascend the pyramid and have ritual sex to ensure a good crop, but I haven't been able to find a reference to this story).
Mesoamerican pyramids - more of a mix of ceremonial, sacrificial, astronomical, and burial uses than the Egyptian and Mesopotamian equivalents.
Chinese pyramids - I believe these were all burial structures.
As Dd714 said, when civilizations change, the purpose of their monuments and religious artifacts become the stuff of legend, and no longer carry the sense of purpose they once had. It's important to remember that there were many dynasties in Egypt over thousands of years, there were two kingdoms later united, and you had outsiders like the Hyksos and the Romans coming in and influencing the culture -- then Christianity, then Islam.
Why the pyramid shape all over the world? Again, as Dd714 said, the pyramid is the simplest structure that's strong and stable. A child playing with blocks will soon learn that a pyramid is less likely to fall over than a tower or a square structure. Nothing mystical or otherworldly needed.
They never found a mummy inside the the Great Pyramid it was most likely used for a ceremony involving Osiris. I'm skeptical of about half of everything they have ever claimed about Egypt, they don't hold themselves to the same standards they hold everyone else to. Not to mention Zahi Hawass is a total shyster and imo he would intentionally cover up something if he knew it would rewrite the history books too much.
Egyptian pyramids as we know them were not "piles of dirt or rocks". They contained elaborate constructions of tunnels and chambers. both above and under ground. The innermost chamber was the pharaoh's resting place. On the other hand, their predecessors, stepped pyramids, were stacked piles of rocks on top of a mastaba (a low-slung burial structure, shaped like a pyramid with most of the top part cut off.) And before stepped pyramids came about, mastabas by themselves were used.
The Chicago Field Museum has a two-story replica of an Egyptian pyramid interior; I strongly recommend seeing it.
What does this change about what I stated? They are made of stone. They have some chambers in them. If they were as tall and had a thinner base than top I would be impressed.
Sure, it took some good planning, a lot of work and some people died doing it but what about this design do you find challenging?
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I wanted to rep you, but I gotta spread it around first.
