Age of the Pyramids

During the Fourth Dynasty, King Sneferu perfected the art of pyramid building. His era is often described as the Age of the Pyramids. The famous Pyramids of Giza were constructed after Sneferu, under kings Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.

• The First Pyramid:

Though the Fourth Dynasty signaled the height of the age of pyramid-building, scholars traditionally incorporated the Third Dynasty in the Golden Age because of the very first pyramid, which was built for King Djoser at Saqqara. Djoser's architect, Imhotep, revolutionized construction in Egypt by building the king's tomb out of stone instead of the regular mud brick, mastabas, as he wanted a lasting memorial to his king. It was a structure with a stone pyramid at its center and surrounding temples.

• The Fourth Dynasty:

The relative comfort of the Third Dynasty offered the rulers of the Fourth Dynasty the freedom to explore more artistic and cultural pursuits. King Sneferu's architectural experiments led to an evolution from the mastaba-styled step pyramids to the smooth-sided pyramids, such as those on the Giza plateau. King Sneferu seems to have had more stone and brick moved than any other pharaoh and gets the credit for completing the first true pyramid, known as the Red Pyramid. He also constructed smaller step pyramids and was, in general, the most prolific pyramid builder of the era.

• The Great Pyramid:

Built for the Fourth Dynasty's King Khufu, the Pyramids of Giza were completed in 2560 B.C. at the Giza Necropolis located in today's modern city of Cairo. The Great Pyramid is the largest of the three pyramids, and part of its central building contains three small pyramids built for Khufu's wives. It took approximately 20 years to complete and was the tallest human-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years.

• Organizing Workforce:

In spite several theories regarding the building of pyramids, a study has shown that it was most probably built by the Egyptians themselves over the course of 20 years. Apparently, a large crew of specialists including stone cutters, painters, farmers, mathematicians and priests had offered their skills and time, lending their efforts towards this civil service. Evidence shows that a lot of effort and organization went into record keeping and accounting during the building of the pyramids.

The study of the pyramids suggests that accomplishments in architecture and finance during the Fourth Dynasty remain unparalleled in Egypt's history.

The author is a historian and has a keen interest in the study of ancient monuments and ruins. He loves to write about his experiences traveling and about historical sites like the Pyramids of Giza.