Egyptian Old Kingdom

Author: Compiled by Niu Ruihua, U.S. Cosmopolitan Publishing Company
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The pyramid is a massive tomb used to store the mummies of deceased pharaohs. Its foundation is nearly a perfect square and accurately points north. The foundation covers an area of 13.5 acres, and its north and south sides are not perfectly parallel, differing by only one inch (2.5 cm). People built the tombs in the desolate and remote valleys of southern Egypt and protected them. Today, we call these valleys the "Valley of the Kings." Perhaps, the tombs built on mountain peaks could serve a symbolic function of pyramids. In the early history of the Egyptians, they believed that only the preserved bodies of the deceased could allow the souls to remain after death. Therefore, people invented the technique of mummification, which could ensure the bodies remained intact in the tombs.