pyramid

(noun)

An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica.

Related Terms

  • wadi
  • Ancient Egypt
  • relief

Examples of pyramid in the following topics:

  • The Pyramids of the Old Kingdom

    • These tombs were built in the form of great pyramids, and for this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as the "Age of the Pyramids."
    • In the following dynasties, the pyramid design changed from the "step" pyramid to a true pyramid shape as kings continued to build tombs for their kings.
    • The Necropolis includes three pyramid complexes: the Great Pyramid (built by King Khufu of the 4th Dynasty); the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (buit by Khufu's son); and the relatively modest-sized Pyramid of Menkaure.
    • This view shows all three pyramid structures: the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure.
    • Djoser's step pyramid was the first of the great pyramids built during the Old Kingdom in Eqypt.
  • Tombs

    • During the Old Kingdom, mastabas and pyramids were built as tombs for the deceased in order to preserve their soul in the afterlife.
    • During the Old Kingdom, these royal mastabas eventually developed into rock-cut "step pyramids" and then "true pyramids," although non-royal use of mastabas continued to be used for more than a thousand years.
    • The Pyramids of Giza, massive stone-cut structures built from limestone quarried from the Nile River,are the most well-known example of pyramid tombs built during the Old Kingdom .
    • As the pyramids were constructed for the kings, mastabas for lesser royals were constructed around them.
    • The Pyramids of Giza served as tombs to the Kings.
  • Architecture of the Middle Kingdom

    • It is one of the five remaining pyramids of the original eleven pyramids at Dahshur in Egypt.
    • Originally named Amenemhet is Mighty, the pyramid earned the name "Black Pyramid" for its dark, decaying appearance as a rubble mound.
    • Typical for Middle Kingdom pyramids, the Black Pyramid, although encased in limestone, is made of mud brick and clay instead of stone.
    • Workers' villages were often built nearby to pyramid construction sites.
    • Middle Kingdom pyramids consist of mud brick and clay encased in limestone.
  • Art and Architecture in the Kingdom of Kush

    • The kings of Kush adopted the Egyptian architectural idea of building pyramids as funerary monuments.
    • However, Kushite pyramids were built above the underground graves, whereas the Egyptian graves were inside the pyramid.
    • The kings' tombs were lodged under large pyramids made of stone.
    • Ordinary citizens were buried in much smaller pyramids.
    • The most famous examples of Kushite pyramids are located in their capital Meroë.
  • Tombs of the Middle Kingdom

    • Royal funerary practices in the Middle Kingdom remained much the same as in the Old Kingdom, with kings continuing to build pyramids for their burials.
    • Unlike the Old Kingdom, however, Middle Kingdom royal pyramids were not quite as well constructed, and so few of them remain as pyramid structures today.
    • Among the tombs built during this time are Amenemhat I's funerary monument at El-Lisht; Sesostris I's funerary monument; Amenemhat III's pyramid at Hawara, which includes an elaborate labyrinth complex; and Sesostris II's pyramid at Illahun.
    • The construction of pyramids declined toward the end of the Twelfth Dynasty, as instability led to the decline of the Middle Kingdom.
    • In the Old Kingdom, the Pyramid Texts, which contained spells to help the dead reach the afterlife successfully, were only accessible to the elite.
  • Architecture of the Maya

    • They built imposing pyramids, temples, palaces, and administrative structures in densely populated cities.
    • The Temple of the Inscriptions is a nine-level pyramid that rises to a height of about 75 feet.
    • One of Chichen Itza's most conspicuous structures is El Castillo (Spanish for the castle), a massive, nine-level pyramid in the center of a large plaza with a stairway on each side leading to a square temple on the pyramid's summit.
    • Temple of the Inscriptions (tomb pyramid of Lord Pakal), Palenque, Mexico, 7th century
    • Palace (right) and Temple of the Inscriptions, tomb-pyramid of Lord Pakal (left).
  • Teotihuacan

    • Teotihuacan's principal monuments include the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Ciudadela (Spanish for fortified city center), a vast sunken plaza surrounded by temple platforms.
    • Its focal point was the pyramidal Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
    • Detail of pyramid, showing the alternating talud base and vertical tablero (left).
    • View from the Pyramid of the Moon down the Avenue of the Dead to the Ciudadela and the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
    • The Pyramid of the Sun is at the middle left.
  • Timeline

    • 2635 - 2610 BCE: The oldest surviving Egyptian Pyramid is commissioned by pharaoh Djoser.
    • 2560 BCE: The approximate time accepted as the completion of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest pyramid of the Giza Plateau.
    • 2494 - 2345 BCE: The first of the oldest surviving religious texts, the Pyramid Texts, are composed in Ancient Egypt.
    • 1200 BCE: Olmecs build earliest pyramids and temples in Central America.
    • In the Mayan civilization, stepped pyramids are constructed .
  • Introduction to Ancient Egyptian Art

    • King Djoser's architect, Imhotep, is credited with the development of building with stone and with the conception of the new architectural form—the Step Pyramid.
    • Indeed, the Old Kingdom is perhaps best known for the large number of pyramids constructed at this time as pharaonic burial places.
    • For this reason, the Old Kingdom is frequently referred to as "the Age of the Pyramids."
  • Art of the Persian Empire

    • The load-bearing tomb, pyramidal-roofed, sits atop a geometric mound that resembles a stepped pyramid of Pre-Dynastic Egypt.
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