Ancient Egyptian Pyramids

1. Ancient Egyptian Pyramids By: Jayda Montoya Hist-101-501 Fall 2018 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

2. How did pyramids affect people’s lives in Ancient Egypt? Why did the Egyptians allow these changes to be made? • Pyramids were massive in size and abundant in count within Ancient Egypt, which proves to us that the ancient Egyptians used their acuity and surrounding resources to construct these edifices which later became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Because the pyramids were great structures, the Egyptians’ lives, both daily and overall, must have been greatly changed by the development of these pyramids. The Egyptians must also have had some motivation for building them. How and why did pyramids affect people’s lives in Ancient Egypt? • The construction of the Egyptian pyramids was a laborious project that took a prolonged amount of time to complete each one, and required over 100,000 men, which provided jobs for the masses as laborers. Those who worked on the pyramids were not slaves, but ordinary men from society who abandoned their former line of work to become laborers. Egyptian culture put a strong emphasis on religion and pleasing their gods; therefore, the pyramids were built as an attempt to gain favor of the gods and for the pharaohs, who were sometimes thought to be gods as well, to draw closer to the gods that appointed them, and to have a burial worthy of honor. In addition, the wealth of the Egyptian pharaohs allowed the pyramids to be built. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

3. https://classroom.synonym.com/did-pyramids-affect-peoples-lives-ancient-egypt-9926.htmlAuthor: Naomi Millburn • Summary: This article states the many ways lives in Egypt were influenced and changed because of the construction of the pyramids. It includes the workers’ living conditions: living in wealthy communities close to the worksites. “The workers were not only provided with shelter, but also in sustenance in exchange for the services.” Despite the long, strenuous hours requiring them to work all hours of the day, the laborers received many benefits including a tasty variety of foods, tax refunds, and medical assistance. • Evaluation: The author of this article writes to help students learn and gather information as needed. She uses many references and resources to help develop her work. Her article was accepted and posted through Leaf Group Education. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

4. Summary: This source mentions the role that religion played in the building of the pyramids. It states that the pharaohs were believed to have been appointed by the gods as mediators between the gods and the people, and that when he died, parts of his spirit remained in his body. With this belief, the ancient Egyptians sought to “properly care for his spirit,” using mummification, and burying all the pharaoh’s treasures in the tomb along with his body. The Egyptians spent many years building the pyramids to be tombs for their pharaohs in hopes the pharaohs would influence the gods to look favorably upon the people. Evaluation: This source was written by History.com, which has, for a long time, been known and widely accepted for its accuracy and credibility. https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/the-egyptian-pyramidsAuthor: History.com Editors This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

5. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/archaeology/giza-pyramids/Author: Brian Handwerk • Summary: This source talks more about the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, including their gods and the afterlife. “Egypt’s pharaohs expected to become gods in the afterlife. To prepare for the next world they erected temples to the gods and massive pyramid tombs for themselves–filled with all the things each ruler would need to guide and sustain himself in the next world.” It also talks about how the laborers of the pyramids were “skilled, well-fed Egyptian workers,” living in a wealthy and well-organized community. • Evaluation: This article is from National Geographic, which is another credible history source, known by many for its accuracy and incredible stories on history, nature, and wildlife. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

6. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramidreligion.htmAuthor: Jimmy Dunn • Summary: This article argues how serious a topic death, afterlife, and religion were to the ancient Egyptians. “In the ancient Egyptian mind, death was not an end of life but rather the beginning of a new form of existence, particularly for the king.” The Egyptians thought of the afterlife as a “daily cycle of spiritual rebirth,” and they built the pyramids not only as tombs, but also as ”resurrection machines, designed to produce and ensure eternal life.” • Evaluation: This article was published by a website called Tour Egypt, which is focused solely on the history of Egypt and information of its present. The author also references many books and sources based on the history of Egypt and its pyramids. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

7. http://www.ushistory.org/civ/3e.aspAuthor: ushistory.org • Summary: This article focuses on how pyramids were built mainly for religious purposes. They believed that after their physical body passes away, their “second self, called the ka” would continue into eternal life. It also mentions multiple times how pyramids were built with the help of the wealthy and powerful pharaohs. “Only a powerful pharaoh could marshal the necessary human resources to build giant pyramids.” • Evaluation: This article is posted by another historical site called ushistory.org. It is a credible source because it is an online textbook from Ancient Civilizations. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

8. https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-pyramid-tell-us-about-the-cultural-ideas-of-the-people-that-built-themAuthor: Haley Kaufell • Summary: This article mentions again how pyramids were built for religious reasons. The civilians saw their pharaohs either as gods, or as mediators appointed by the gods, so they held the obligation to make sure the pharaoh’s afterlife would be just as wealthy and successful as his present life. They believed that if they worked hard for the pharaoh’s success, the gods would look favorably upon them. The construction of the pyramids “eventually became a way to get closer to the gods and honor their Pharaoh.” • Evaluation: The author of this article has written many articles and blogs answering the questions of students relating to historical events and many other topics. The information she provides in her articles is accurate, and she is even known as a “History Buff.” This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

9. http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/building/Author: reshafim.org • Summary: This article describes the difficult, laborious work that building a pyramid required from a person. The builders had to carry heavy loads of building materials far distances in order to transport. They also had to work long hours in the hot sun, in extremely dangerous conditions. It is said that the laboring work was “backbreaking drudgery,” but construction had become “an occasion for asking the gods for their goodwill.” • Evaluation: This article is credible because a vast majority of it includes citations from various history books, bibliographies, and autobiographies. The author makes sure to include all the references he used. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

10. Conclusion: The lives of the ancient Egyptians were greatly affected by the pyramids, in that many people adjusted their jobs, families, and daily lives to work hard hours building the pyramids. The laborers who worked on the pyramids also received beneficial payments in living, food, money, and help for their service on the pyramids. Pyramids of Egypt could not have been as efficiently constructed if it weren’t for the pharaohs containing a considerable amount of power and wealth. Pyramids were built because of religious motivations. The Egyptians wanted their Pharaoh to have all the belongings he needed to carry out a successful afterlife with the gods. The Egyptians also sought favor from the gods and their Pharaoh because of their hard, intense labor. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

11. Works Cited: • Millburn, Naomi. “How Did Pyramids Affect People’s Lives in Ancient Egypt?” Last Updated June 26, 2018. https://classroom.synonym.com/did-pyramids-affect-peoples-lives-ancient-egypt-9926.html • History.com. “The Pharoah in Egyptian Society.” Egyptian Pyramids, Last Updated: August 21, 2018.https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/the-egyptian-pyramids • Handwerk, Brian. “Pyramids at Giza.” National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/archaeology/giza-pyramids/ • Dunn, Jimmy. “About Egyptian Pyramids.” Why the Ancient Egyptians Built Pyramids–A Matter of Religion, http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pyramidreligion.htm This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

12. Works Cited: • Ushistory.org. “Pyramids.” Ancient Egypt, http://www.ushistory.org/civ/3e.asp • Kaufell, Haley. “What does the Pyramid Tell Us About the Cultural Ideas of the People that Built Them?” October 24, 2017. https://www.quora.com/What-does-the-pyramid-tell-us-about-the-cultural-ideas-of-the-people-that-built-them • Reshafim.org. “Building in Ancient Egypt.” http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/building/ This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND