The Pyramids
Pyramids were built during the early part of the Old Kingdom as a tomb to protect the pharaoh's mummified remains and all the treasures that were buried with the pharaoh. Despite intricate designs, and a number of protective measures like secret passages and false tombs, grave robbers continued to break into and steal from pharaoh's tombs. This led Egyptians to stop burying Pharaoh's in pyramids. Instead, during the New Kingdom, Ancient Egyptians began burying their pharaohs in a place called the Valley of the Kings. They now buried their pharaohs in secret chambers that were carved into the side of a rock wall. Their tombs were hidden and disguised. This stopped some grave robbers, but many tombs were still found and robbed.
The Great Pyramid
Some quick facts about the Great Pyramid:
(A summary of points from your textbook Retroactive 1, Jacaranda)
- The Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2550 BC
- It covers an area of about 5 hectares
- It is approximately 147 metres high
- It is still the world's largest stone monument
- Each of its sides aligns almost exactly with true north, south, east and west
- Its sides are built at an angle of 51.5 degrees
- It consists of at least 2,300,000 blocks of granite weighing 2.5 tonnes each
(A summary of points from your textbook Retroactive 1, Jacaranda)
Task 1 : Reading
Read the chapter "The Sphinx and The Great Pyramid at Giza" from your textbook as shown above. Answer "using sources" questions 1-3 in a google.doc and save to your history folder.
Task 2: Virtual Tour
Take a virtual tour of the Great Pyramid - Khufu. Go to the following site and click 'Launch Interactive'.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/explore-ancient-egypt.html
Once you have had a good look around the inside and outside of the pyramid write down three things that you learned about the Great Pyramid by taking this tour. (Remember to be specific, say what you learned but also explain how you learned it, e.g. what did you see that made you think/learn about it.)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/explore-ancient-egypt.html
Once you have had a good look around the inside and outside of the pyramid write down three things that you learned about the Great Pyramid by taking this tour. (Remember to be specific, say what you learned but also explain how you learned it, e.g. what did you see that made you think/learn about it.)