1. The Evolution of Egyptian Pyramid Construction

2. Mastaba

3. Mastaba “House of eternity” Traced back to Pharaoh Aha (2686 BCE)
Designed as protection for the mummy
Tombs carved into the bedrock and covered with mud bricks with enclosures on the sides
Early mastabas not good as sand would blow away and bodies were eaten by jackals

5. Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara

6. Djoser’s Step Pyramid at Saqqara 2650 BCE
Pharaoh Djoser was 2nd Old Kingdom
Imhotep was his brilliant Vizier/Architect
First major stone building (limestone)
Symbolic meaning: stone immortalizes Djoser, preserving him from slow erosion of time
Layers of mastabas placed on top of each other
6 steps (layers) rise to height of 60 metres

8. Snefru’s Step Pyramid at Meidum

9. Snefru’s Step Pyramid at Meidum 2613-2589 BCE
Snefru is Khufu’s father
First above ground burial chamber
Ceiling bears the weight of the pyramid
Interior chambers never finished
But innovation in corbelled ceiling
First attempt at a true pyramid failed as smooth facing stones slipped off the sides of the seven layers (and were later removed as late as the 19th century)

11. Snefru’s Bent Pyramid at Dashur

12. Snefru’s Bent Pyramid at Dashur
First attempt at the classic shape
Built on gravel and not solid bedrock
Inside it is very dangerous because burial chamber is held together with huge cedar beams
Much larger casing stones used
Casing blocks inclined inward
At nearly 50% complete, the internal chambers and the corners started to crack
Unprecedented two burial chambers, each with a separate entrance

15. Snefru’s Red Pyramid

16. Snefru’s Red Pyramid First true pyramid
3rd time’s a charm for Snefru!
Built on a smaller scale and at a 43 degree angle to reduce the time of construction
Mortuary chapel was now moved to eastern side from traditional northern side

18. Great Pyramid of Khufu

19. Great Pyramid of Khufu Designed by Hemuinu, Khufu’s cousin
Built for 4th Dynasty Pharaoh Khufu
Completed around 2560 BCE
Base built on cardinal points of a compass

21. Pyramid of Khafra

22. Pyramid of Khafra Khafra is the son of Khufu (2558-2532 BCE)
Second largest of the pyramids
Illusion of being the largest due to higher elevation of land (10 metres higher)
Made from limestone
Steeper angle

23. Pyramid of Menkaure

24. Pyramid of Menkaure Succeeded Khafra as Phraraoh (c. 2620 BC–2480 BCE)
Constructed of limestone and granite
There are three subsidiary pyramids associated with Menkaure's pyramid, possibly for his Queens