Shutterstock The ancient pyramids of Egypt are incredible structures, towering over the landscape for 4500+ years. They were clearly built to last a long time, and the fact that archeologists still haven’t uncovered all the hidden rooms and mapped their entire structures shows that they were built with precision and lots of planning. The common belief has long been that these pyramids were built as tombs or mausoleums for pharos when they died, but there is one key piece of evidence that says this was not likely the case (at least not always). The lack of bodies. Sure, some pyramids have been found with human remains in them. Some have even been shown to be the remains of pharos, but that seems to be the exception rather than the rule. The Pyramid of Djoser is the earliest pyramid known to exist in Egypt. The body found within, however seems to have come from long after it was built. Possibly in the Third Dynasty. So, someone (maybe someone important, or maybe not) decided to use the pyramid that had already been there for hundreds, or even over a thousand, years. Shutterstock There are many examples of pyramids that either had no bodies in them at all, or the bodies were clearly from centuries after the pyramid was built. Even if pyramids were originally constructed as tombs, the ancient builders likely stopped doing that relatively soon because of the fact that a massive pyramid in the desert is an obvious target for grave robbers. If someone powerful wants to have a place where they can rest with their wealth for all eternity, they aren’t likely going to want to do it in a massive structure that all but screams “COME ROB ME!” So, this begs the question, why were they originally built? If you watch certain TV shows, you might be led to believe that they were built by ancient aliens to use as landing platforms or even space ships themselves. Others would suggest that they were built as giant grain silos. And some say they were built simply as a testament to the power and wealth of the dynasty of the time. Humans have, after all, loved showing off their wealth with extravagant projects throughout history. The somewhat disappointing answer is that we don’t actually know for sure. In some specific pyramids, archeologists can learn a lot about the culture of the builders. They can even sometimes determine what individual rooms within the pyramid were used for. But the reason each of the pyramids was built is largely unknown. In all likelihood, there are different reasons for each one. Some may have been built as a tomb. Others just to show off the wealth and ingenuity of Egypt. Still others just out of tradition. Shutterstock In the end, all we can do is look at them with awe and wonder about the amazing civilizations that were able to create these lasting structures. We can also ask if we are today creating anything that will still be around in 4500+ years (we aren’t). If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about 50 amazing finds on Google Earth.
