The Pyramids of Egypt are famous architectural feats known around the world, but they aren't the only pyramids around the Globe. This video will introduce you to the pyramids of Egypt and beyond, to a number of different pyramids around the world.
The most famous pyramid is the Great Pyramid of Egypt, also the only remaining of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World which will be explored, along with the first pyramids of Egypt; the stepped pyramids. This video will explore the tomb of Qin Shi Huang Di in China where the famous terra cotta warriors were uncovered in the hidden pyramid.
Not commonly considered pyramids are structures in Cambodia such as Prasat Thom, the structures at Tenochtitlan and Tenayuca and the Valleys at Tucume which will all be explored here!
More common structures such as the steep Nubian pyramids and the Pyramid of Cestius will be placed on the map of pyramids around the globe, but don't stop with this video! There are plenty more pyramids around the world to explore, all ranging in form and function!
-CHAPTERS- 0:00 Introduction 0:36 What is a Pyramid? 1:16 The Pyramids of Egypt 2:31 The Pyramids of China 3:47 The Pyramids of Cambodia 4:29 The Nubian Pyramids 5:30 The Pyramids of Mesoamerica 7:21 The Pyramids of Peru 8:26 The Pyramid of Cestius 9:31 Modern Pyramids
The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
Did you know that there are over 5,000 pyramids currently on this earth,
on different continents and made with a range of materials?
Hello and welcome to Ancient History Encyclopedia.
My name is Kelly and today we're going to have a look at pyramids in Egypt and around the world.
Even though there are over 100 pyramids in Egypt,
these triangular architectural feats are found all over the world,
including in places such as Peru, China, Cambodia and even Italy.
Let's start off with what a pyramid actually is.
How do you define a pyramid?
Well, pyramids are often square-based,
although there is such a thing as a triangle-based pyramid.
They are often monumental structures with sloped sides which reach a point at the top.
The function of pyramids changes between groups and cultures,
and often they will be stepped rather than flat-sided.
It wouldn't be surprising if when you heard the word pyramid,
you thought of the spectacular flat-sided pyramids of Giza at Egypt.
However, there are many pyramids around the world which have very different form and function.
Before we jump into the lesser-known pyramids, let's start off with the most iconic,
the pyramids of Egypt.
The Egyptian pyramids are royal tombs,
built as the final resting place of the country's great kings.
It is believed that the spirit of the king can move to the afterlife of the field of reeds
through the point at the top and then easily travel back down to earth if he desires.
The most iconic of these structures, built between 2589 and 2504 BCE,
are the three pyramids of Giza, including the Great Pyramid,
which is the only surviving wonder of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Egypt has approximately 138 pyramids,
all ranging in size throughout the country, but they all have the same function.
The first pyramid in Egypt was the famous Step Pyramid at Saqqara for King Djoser,
and the first flat-sided pyramid was completed in the Fourth Dynasty
under the reign of Sneferu, called the Red Pyramid.
The subterranean burials were accompanied by tunnels and chambers,
which would have been used for other burials for family members such as the queen,
along with treasures, grave goods, and artworks.
Although it isn't common to associate China with pyramids,
there are over 40 in the Shaanxi province alone.
With some of them believing to be over 8,000 years old,
these structures are still fairly mysterious to us.
These amazing structures were first recorded by the Jesuit priest A. Kircher in the 17th century CE,
and by the 18th century, the circulating theory was that China was a colony of Egypt.
The most famous pyramid is the tomb of Qi Shi Huangdi,
who was the first emperor of China and ruled between 221 and 210 BCE.
It was in the royal burial mound that the 6,000 terracotta warriors,
500 horses, 100 chariots, and over 100,000 weapons were found.
The pyramids were the burial places for the royals and elite of China,
with empresses, children, and concubines all having been found.
The pyramid burials most likely symbolize the home of the gods and the afterlife,
and the physical placement of the pyramids have astronomical connections,
as they were built in line with the stars.
This may be accredited to the belief that the royals ruled due to a mandate from the heavens.
There are more pyramids in Asia. Although not commonly considered pyramids,
the monumental structures in the Koh Ker region of Cambodia are in fact pyramids.
The most famous pyramid in Cambodia is Prasat Tom in the Koh Ker region, which dates to circa 921 CE.
This stepped pyramid with a flat top is not a burial place like most other pyramids,
but is a temple to Shiva, built under the reign of King Jayavarman.
In Cambodian, pyramid is known as a prang,
and the prang of Prasat Tom extends to over 36 meters,
and it's older than the famous Angkor Wat temple.
The Nubian pyramids are best known from Meroe, the capital city of Kush,
which was later known as Nubia and is modern-day Sudan in Africa.
These structures began appearing as the tombs of the kings of Meroe
after the Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose I conquered the region in circa 1500 BCE,
and the later campaigns of Thutmose III finished the conquest of the region.
The Nubians greatly admired Egyptian culture and were highly influenced by them,
but were far enough away to develop their own separate culture and religion,
and their tombs for their kings emulated the form of the Egyptian tombs.
At Meroe, Kushites built over 200 pyramids,
which means there are actually more pyramids in Sudan than there is in Egypt.
The pyramids at Meroe are smaller than those in Egypt and lack a point at the top,
although it is believed that there was once something made out of perishable materials
that sat atop the pyramids.
Believe it or not, the Americas have more pyramids than the rest of the world combined,
and the Inca, Aztec, Maya and Olmec cultures all built pyramid-like structures
for royal burials and for their deities.
Mesoamerican pyramids were artificial mountains
thought to invite the gods down to a home which they would find both familiar and comfortable.
The Mesoamerican pyramids differ from those in Egypt as they feature a flat top
and are more similar to the step pyramids of early Egypt.
The greatest Mexican pyramid is at Tenochtitlan,
which was the capital city and the religious center of the Aztec civilization.
The pyramid in the center of Tenochtitlan is known as the Temple Mayor
and was built in honor of the gods,
Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, and Tlaloc, the god of rain, in circa 1300s.
On the outskirts of Mexico City is another Aztec pyramid known as Tenoyuca.
Surrounding the base of the pyramid are stone serpents,
which may be a decorative choice inspired by the Toltec city where they first appear.
The largest Mesoamerican pyramid site is Teotihuacan,
although no one knows the original name.
The present name comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs
and it means something along the lines of the place where the gods were created.
No one knows who built this site or why,
but most likely it was built to represent the home of the gods.
Another famous pyramid is El Castillo at Chichen Itza in the Yucatan
and there are many others such as Tikal in Guatemala and the list just goes on.
When the Maya were discovered in the mid-19th century CE,
they were believed, just like China, to be a colony of Egypt.
An amazing rediscovery in 1988 of the pyramids of the Lambayeque Valley
in a site known as Tecumseh was built in circa 1100 CE
and was used for over 500 years and was home to three different cultures.
It was the Sican culture who initially claimed the region as their capital.
Then it was incorporated into the lands of the Chimu
and then absorbed by the Inca and finally abandoned in 1532 CE.
There are over 250 pyramids at the site and 26 at the site of Tecumseh
and it is considered sacred to the indigenous peoples.
The site became known as Purgarito or Purgatory
because Christian priests had native people who refused to convert
carried to the top and thrown off.
The construction of these pyramids mirrors the same as other cultures
as symbolizing the home of the gods as artificial mountains
so they would trick the gods to thinking that they were real
and to come down to be closer to the people.
The pyramid of Cestius was built during the reign of Augustus
between circa 18 and 12 BCE.
The monumental structure is 30 meters high and made out of white marble.
On one side there's an inscription and in translation it reads
Gaius Cestius Apullo son of Lucius of the Pobilion district
Praetor tribune of the people official of the public banquets.
According to his will this work was completed in 330 days.
It was executed by his heirs Lucius Pontus Mila son of Publius
of the Claudian district and his freedman Pothos.
Underneath the pyramid is a funerary chamber which was discovered in 17th century
and is a common use for pyramids around the world.
The pyramid of Cestius is far steeper than the pyramids of Egypt
which explains the depiction of pyramids during the renaissance
as the only pyramid that they would have been familiar with
was the pyramid of Cestius.
The pyramid design has withstood the test of time
right up until the modern day as the style can be identified all over the world.
This includes buildings such as the Louvre,
the transamerica pyramid in San Francisco
and the culture and entertainment complex in Russia and many many more.
The purpose of pyramids has altered dramatically
from burial places and temples to museums hotels and entertainment complexes.
However they're still popular all around the globe.
So why do you think the pyramid style is still used today?
And do you have any pyramid shaped buildings near you?
Let us know down in the comments below.
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