7 Surprising Secrets of the Egyptian Pyramids

P yramids always remained a mystery to man. The Egyptian pyramids are one of the defining architectural winning of the ancient world. As an incredible work of engineering and Egyptologists the Giza pyramid has drawn visitors' attention from around the world. People around the world who study the mysteries of ancient Egypt can’t help but associate the pyramids with the grand ruler of recent years.

Still covered in mystery the pyramids don’t reveal their secrets easily. But over time, scholars have come to learn many surprising facts about ancient Egypt through the study and researches. Here’s the list of some of the revealing facts about the pyramid that you might not know :

Pyramid Aren't Created Equal

The earliest pyramids aren’t the pointed structures rather they were actually flat. Many examples are found in the vast Saqqara burial ground located in Ancient Egypt’s capital, Memphis. The pyramids here are the earliest known structures, built during the third dynasty and designed by great architect of that time Imhotep. Pyramids was constructed between 2630 BCE.

It’s considered one of the world’s oldest constructed monuments made of cut masonry and is not in fact pointed. Instead, it’s a step pyramid where the architect had mastabas of diminishing size stacked on top of one the other.

The Egyptians Used Astronomy For The Construction

According to the Egyptologist, the stars were a guiding force in how the pyramids were aligned and given positions. Kate Spence of Cambridge University published research in 2000 that demonstrates how constellation was used to align the pyramids according to the directions of north-south. The measurements were so accurate that they only have a margin error of up to 0.05 degrees .

Pyramid Aren't Built By Slaves

The long history that the pyramids were built by slaves might not actually be true. It was widely believed that slaves were tasked and beaten brutally in between the construction of the pyramids.

But later it was contradicted and found out that they were paid workers not slaves. Workers from around north and south, respected for their work, worked Unwearying. And their burial in a tomb shows that their role in building the pyramids was an honor not a punishment as a slave.

The Pyramid Can Tell Time

The Pyramid of Giza is not only the most recognized of Egypt’s pyramids, but it’s also the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that’s standing still. The Great Pyramid is impressive for many reasons but one of the most interesting features is that, this monument can also tell time.

The structure actually acts as a sundial with its shadow telling the hours by falling on marks made in the stone. Therefore, it helped the Egyptians to define the solar year.

Stones That Weigh More Than Elephant

Imagine time when there were no cranes to lift up heavy stones . At that time the Egyptians erected these pyramids with stones that are about 5-10 tons per stone . And as we know the structure of pyramid we can imagine how these stones were hoisted and laid one by one on top of each other. Researchers are still working on that how they achieve such a height.

Ancient Air Conditioners

The more people study Egyptians Architecture, the more they get surprised by the Egyptian inventions. Another unknown fact about these extraordinary structures is that despite the harsh temperatures of day and night, the pyramids maintain a constant inside temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

Pyramids Glittered Like Gold

During the construction of these Egyptian pyramids were covered with a well-polished limestone. And this limestone when laid on the pyramids shine literally like diamonds when the sun rise comes over them. This shine made the structures visible from miles away and it looks like a mountain of gold.