|
|
|
Ancient Egyptians - Step Pyramid |
Development of the Djoser Step Pyramid
Djoser Step Pyramid at Saqqara Ancient Egypt - Djoser Step Pyramid Fact Sheet Fact 1 on the Step Pyramid: The burial customs of the ancient Egyptians developed over time. At first everyone was buried in a desert area in a shallow pit grave. A typical pit grave had a mound of rough stones built over it as a memorial or landmark.
Ancient Egyptian Pit Grave Fact 2 on the Step Pyramid: The simple Pit Graveswere developed by the wealthy elite to become a more impressive type of tomb, called a mastaba. The Mastaba Egyptian tomb was originally a single storey structure made of Mud Bricks.
Traditional mastaba Fact 3 on the Step Pyramid: The mastaba tombs evolved to contain an underground burial chamber. The underground burial chambers were gradually cut deeper until they passed into the bedrock. Fact 4 on the Step Pyramid: These were further developed into extensive subterranean complexes, reached by a stairway, and containing many other rooms. King Hor- Aha of the 1st dynasty built a massive underground mastaba tomb complex in honor of his mother Queen Neithhotep at near Thinis.
Fact 5 on the Step Pyramid: The Djoser step pyramid at Saqqara began as a traditional, flat-roofed Mastaba Tomb. The Step pyramid had six tiers.
King Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara Fact 6 on the Step Pyramid: Like the mastaba, the plan of the step pyramid consisted of three parts: the chapel, the passage, and the sepulchral vault. Fact 7 on the Step Pyramid: The Djoser monument was constructed at Saqqara which was used as necropolis by the inhabitants of Memphis (modern-day Cairo). Fact 8 on the Step Pyramid: This was the first pyramid constructed in ancient Egypt and is recognized as the first monumental stone structure. It was the prototype of all pyramids. Fact 9 on the Step Pyramid: A building of the size of this great monument, and made entirely out of stone, had never before been constructed. Fact 10 on the Step Pyramid: The monument was designed by the brilliant architect, Imhotep, on behalf of his pharaoh, King Djoser. continued... Ancient Egypt - Djoser Step Pyramid Fact Sheet Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara Ancient Egypt - Djoser Step Pyramid Fact Sheet Fact 11 on the Step Pyramid: It was constructed during the 27th century BC and As in earlier mastaba tombs, the burial chambers of the Step Pyramid are underground, hidden in a maze of tunnels. Fact 12 on the Step Pyramid: The monument was expanded in a series of stages that resulted in its present appearance of a pyramid consisting of 6 distinct steps, decreasing in size. Fact 13 on the Step Pyramid: Dimensions: The dimensions of the monument are: Height = 62 metres (203 ft) Fact 14 on the Step Pyramid: The steps each retreat about 7 feet; the step nearest the ground is 37.5 feet high, and the top one is 29 feet high. Fact 15 on the Step Pyramid: The area around the monumental tomb became a massive funeral complex in honor of King Djoser and covered 37 acres - nearly three times the size of an ancient Egyptian city. Fact 16 on the Step Pyramid: The complex is surrounded by a wall that was over 10 meters high (33 feet). Fact 17 on the Step Pyramid: The complex wall was surrounded by a trench to make entry into the complex difficult. There were 14 doors, but 13 doors were false and served as an additional security measure. The trench measured Length = 750 m (820 yards) Fact 18 on the Step Pyramid: The steps were constructed from a core of rough stones and then cased in limestone with packing in between. The limestone was polished creating a gleaming monument. Fact 19 on the Step Pyramid: The chambers that were built underground were hidden in a maze of tunnels which were designed to discourage tomb robbers. The tunnels total nearly 6 km (3.7 miles) in length and connect to a central shaft 7 m (23 feet) square and 28 m (92 feet) deep. Fact 20 on the Step Pyramid: The chambers provided room for the king’s burial, the burial of members of the royal family and the storage of grave goods and offerings. Fact 21 on the Step Pyramid: The walls of the underground tunnels and passages were constructed in limestone that was inlaid with beautiful blue faience tiles depicting a pattern that looked like reed matting with decorated panels showing King Djoser participating in religious ceremonies. Fact 22 on the Step Pyramid: The burial chamber of King Djoser was a vault that it was square whereas most mastabas were rectangular, it was constructed with granite. The burial chamber had one opening, which was sealed with a 3.5 ton block after the burial of King Djoser. Ancient Egypt - Djoser Step Pyramid Fact Sheet |
