Video: Scientists have uncovered the secret of the most ancient Egyptian pyramid
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
In the area of Saqqara, not far from the ruins of the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, among the 12 royal pyramids, is the oldest pyramid of Egypt. This pyramid is one of the most impressive ancient monuments. The reason for this is not only her grandeur, but also her age - and he is more than impressive. The six-step pyramid of Djoser is more than 4,700 years old today. So what secrets does this grandiose structure hide?
The pyramid of Djoser is considered the forerunner of all the Egyptian pyramids that have survived to this day, those that were created in Ancient Egypt, including the three pyramids on the Giza plateau - Cheops, Khafre and Mikkerin. For obvious reasons, it is impossible to find out the exact date of the construction of the pyramid, but it is believed that it was erected around 2650 BC as a burial temple for the family of the first pharaoh of the III dynasty of the Ancient Kingdom of Djoser.
This pyramid consists of six steps, but the hot dry desert wind blunted its sharp edges long ago, and several hundred generations of robbers, destroyers and even ordinary residents who needed building material for their own homes, removed the once magnificently polished cladding from it. Now this structure no longer shines in the rays of the sun, it seems to grow straight out of the sand and is one with it.
To imagine the size of the Djoser pyramid, imagine three ordinary 9-storey buildings, standing on top of each other - this will be the width of the base. The length is four 9-storey buildings. The pyramid rises almost 60 meters in height. It is a huge giant that rests on a solid limestone rock. A whole labyrinth of wide and narrow corridors, the total length of which is almost a kilometer, is built inside this mighty structure.
In that distant 2650, the order for the construction of this pyramid was given by Imhotep. At first, he planned to create a simple one-level tomb, of which there were many at that moment, but over time his decision changed - he ordered to build a multi-stage pyramid so that Djoser's soul could rise from the earth straight to heaven through these steps.
Today, the pyramid of Djoser is the oldest Egyptian pyramid, so it is not surprising that millions of tourists come to it every year. For so many years it has stood on the ground, in such harsh conditions, and at the same time it is still not only well preserved, but also still impressive in its shape and size.
The most mysterious thing about the Djoser pyramid is that scientists still have not found a single text, no documents at all describing its construction. With all the abundance of artifacts, there is not a single written evidence of how exactly this complex was built. Therefore, we still do not know why Imhotep used not bricks and clay (which would be much more convenient), but huge massive stones, which today are not so easy to carry and install. Experts believe that for the construction of the pyramid, apparently, special ramps were used - with their help, at least, it would be possible to put the stones in place, and then, apparently, the workers fixed them in place.
Inside the pyramid, Imhotep ordered the construction of 11 burial chambers - so that there would be enough for all members of the pharaoh's family. It is interesting that when archaeologists dug up the inner chambers of the pyramid, they found the wives of the pharaoh, his children, but the mummy of Djoser was not there. Almost all the jewels and sacred objects with which he was buried have also disappeared. We can only guess how many people were inside this structure before it was recorded in writing. All we know for sure is that between 1798 and 1801, Napoleon's men visited it. They found this pyramid during their Egyptian campaign.
If you enter the pyramid, the visitor will first see a tunnel with columns, and then a labyrinth of many small rooms and tunnels, which gradually lead into the depths of 28 meters underground. According to ideas about the world order of that time, the entrance to all structures, including the pyramid itself, was made from the north side.
Of course, scientists would love to find at least some documents as to why the pyramid was built this way and not otherwise. Why was it necessary to take huge heavy stones, if other pyramids of that time were quite successfully built from smaller bricks. Why is the structure of the corridors exactly the same and not different? Scientists can only speculate. For example, in the encyclopedia of ancient history, Egyptologist Miroslav Werner suggested the following: “A simple but effective construction method was used. The masonry was laid not vertically, but along the slopes towards the middle of the pyramid, which increased its structural stability."
In other words, Imhotep apparently wanted this entire complex to be not just a royal tomb, but a monumental structure that would leave a mark on history. And I must admit that thanks to the unique ideas and visionary approach to construction, Imhotep really succeeded. Even today, the architecture of all the Egyptian pyramids amazes both specialists and ordinary visitors. Perhaps ignorance of all their mysteries is for the better, at least this adds even more charm and mystery to them. If you are interested in the mysteries of the history of Ancient Egypt, read another our article on this topic.
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