Expert: Ernest Tufft - 3/18/2009

Question
Why did the  Egyptians build pyramids with an angle of elevation of about 44” or
52”. What was the reason behind this? Why did they build it this way?

Answer
Hi Latoya,

I'm not sure about the question you are asking as each of the pyramids, at Giza, Saqqara, and elsewhere, is unique in terms of construction, as far as I know.  Each was designed by a living breathing architect under the direction of a king or pharaoh, and from the hieroglyphics much is known about their lives and work.  In fact, now more is known about the daily lives of the pharaohs and the Egyptian elite than is known about many medieval kings and vassals of Europe during the Dark Ages.

Yet, many detailed aspects of exactly how the pyramids were constructed remain a mystery, providing testament to the genius of technology of the ancient world that has been forgotten.  However, several aspects of construction in the pyramids and other monumental projects in Egypt do stand out to anyone who visits them, and combined these show related human evolution.  First, these angles and the general engineering in such huge stone projects shows a sophisticated understanding of mathematics.  Second, typically, the general foundation orientation, position of entrances, windows, etc., show a great concern with and knowledge about the movements of the sun, moon, planets, and other celestial bodies, implying a sophisticated understanding of astronomy.

Third, the ability to organize labor for such huge civil projects implies a supporting society with tremendous excess production of food.  Obviously, the Nile River agriculture was very productive.  Also, given the relatively high quality of life in the artisan villages at Luxor, for example, and the dedicated quality of chiseled artwork suggests that those doing this work weren't really slaves in the sense that Americans understand servitude.  The work is clearly that of talented and trained Egyptian workers, not aliens from outer space or Hebrews were responsible for the architecture, labor, or artwork.  When slaves were captured during battles with Nubians to the south, Asians to the east, or Europeans to the north, their labor may well have been used to help drag stones or work in the fields, but from the hieroglyphic paintings that I saw on countless numbers of tombs and monuments, I saw little influence of these slaves in the Egyptian society overall.

Fourth, and last point here, it seems clear to me at least that the huge earth and stone moving skills of the Egyptians evolved in part from their flood control and irrigation knowledge that developed uninterrupted over a long period of time.  Unlike the Sumerians, Chinese, and other great civilizations that faced repeated upheaval by foreign military threat, the Egyptians seem to have benefited from natural barriers to military invasion--expansive deserts and the Red Sea.  The Nile River is a huge slender river that floods every year and that flows through a thousand miles of open desert.  Wherever water could be used for irrigation agriculture was very productive, and so the Egyptian farmers could produce and store several crops per year.  The dry climate reduced loss of grain storage to the extent that modern archeologists routinely find ceramic jars of wheat and other grains.

Thus, the pre-historic Egyptian pharaoh dynasties gained power for their ability to predict the cycles of Nile River water flow, to lead their tribes against threats of flooding, and more importantly, to create a distributed irrigation system for agriculture in the desert.  By expanding agriculture, population increased, and pharaohs gained great power of taxation and ability to recruit men for grand civil projects and ultimately for military conquest.

I hope this helps.  I you have any other questions, please ask...I love this topic and recommend a visit to Egypt for anyone.