The Pyramids on the Giza Plateau Quiz

Answer: Great Pyramid

The Great Pyramid was constructed sometime around 2570 BC during the Old Kingdom, which is also called the Age of Pyramids, in ancient Egypt. Historians believe that it took about twenty years (some sources say at least twenty-seven years) to build. We still gaze upon it in awe today, as did the ancient people. And, like the ancients, we theorize how and why it was built and who built it.

Modern historians have dismissed the ancient theory that the Great Pyramid was built by slaves. They believe that farmers who were unemployed during the Nile flood season were paid wages and provided with food and lodging to build the pyramid. A crew of about 20,000 people made up the workforce; it has been estimated that work continued both day and night, and that every five minutes a stone was somehow moved into place.

How that happened is still in question. It has been proposed that the Egyptians built an embankment that increased in size and encircled the pyramid as the stones were placed higher and higher. Ramps were used to take the stones to the top with sledges, rollers, and levers aiding in the work. Quite impressive, right?!

The automatic answer about why the pyramid was built is that it was a tomb for the pharaoh, but there is little funerary evidence to support this theory. It might have served as an observatory, as the corners are aligned with the cardinal directions. Was it a temple? The granaries of Joseph? A tribute to pharaoh's power? The world may never know!

Answer: Great Pyramid

Also known as Khufu, Cheops was the second ruler of the Fourth Dynasty during the Old Kingdom in ancient Egypt. Pyramid building was in the family blood, as his father, Sneferu, is credited with building three of them, including the Bent Pyramid. Historians do not agree on the length of Cheops' reign, as the evidence provided by ancient writers varies from 23-63 years; it is believed, however, that Cheops ruled for approximately thirty years.

Very little is known about any of his other accomplishments. Cheops is credited with trading for the famous cedar trees from Lebanon, and developing a variety of mines for the quarrying of turquoise, alabaster, basalt, and, of course, building materials.

Cheops had at least two wives and fourteen children, two of which later became pharaoh. Was he really the "smasher of foreheads" as his Greek name suggests? Probably not! While ancient historians believed that that the pyramids were made with forced slave labor, that is not the accepted belief today.

Answer: Great Pyramid

The Great Pyramid was 481 feet (146.5 meters) high when it was originally constructed, but time and erosion have reduced it to 449 feet (136.85 meters). Each side is 756 feet (230.4 meters) long. It was the tallest standing structure in the world for approximately four thousand years, until the Lincoln Cathedral was built in England in 1311. Its spire held the record for just 238 years before it collapsed!

Made of local limestone and red granite shipped down the Nile for almost 500 miles (800 kilometers), the Great Pyramid was built with an estimated 2.3 million stones, some with an average weight of one ton, and the heaviest being around 80 tons. It occupies about thirteen acres on the Giza Plateau.

Answer: Pyramid of Khafre

The Pyramid of Khafre, in comparison to the Great Pyramid, stands 448 feet (136.4 meters) tall; it was originally 472 feet (143.9 meters) in height. It looks taller because its foundation of bedrock is 33 feet (10 meters) higher than the Great Pyramid's.

Its base length is 706 feet (215.5 meters). Made almost entirely of limestone (the lower course of the casing is pink granite), the Pyramid of Khafre was constructed from blocks that weigh about two tons each.

Answer: Pyramid of Khafre

Also called Chephren, Khafre ruled Egypt approximately twenty-six years from 2558-2532 BC, succeeding his father, Khufu, and then his brother, Djedefre. He was the fourth pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty. Like his predecessor, he took advantage of the peace and isolation of his time and built monumental structures, including his pyramid, temples, and, maybe even the Great Sphinx that sits on the Giza Plateau.

Other than that, very little is known about his life. He had several wives, and an estimated fifteen or sixteen children.

Answer: Pyramid of Khafre

You may not know this, but all three pyramids were originally covered with a white limestone casing that made the sides completely smooth. In the bright sunshine, it is entirely possible that the buildings looked like mirrors. Some scientists believe that the light that was created was so powerful that it was visible from the moon!

The Pyramid of Khafre is unique because, unlike its two companions, it still has part of its original white casing that covers part of the capstone at the top. Some historians believe that it may have been covered with gold in ancient times.

Answer: Pyramid of Menkaure

Originally the Pyramid of Menkaure was 215 feet (65.5 meters) tall. Today it is 61 feet tall, with a base of 365 feet (108.5 meters). Built with limestone and Aswan granite, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the three pyramids on the Giza Plateau. Why? One of the chambers is carved with decorative panels.

In 1196 AD, the Sultan of Egypt decided to try and raze the pyramids on the Giza Plateau, beginning with the Pyramid of Menkaure. Luckily, after about eight months the project was abandoned, as the stones were so large that workmen could only move one or two of them each day. A bit of damage was caused to the north face, but the pyramid itself survived.

Answer: Pyramid of Menkaure

Pharaoh Menkaure, also known by his Greek name, Mykerinos, was the grandson of Khufu and the son of Khafre. Very little is known about his reign; however, historians believe he was the sixth pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, ruling from about 2532-2503 BC.

He was the builder of pyramids - his complex contains three smaller subsidiary pyramids - and temples. It is believed that Menkaure's successor, Shepseskaf, was his younger son; his oldest son, Khuenre, died before his father.

Answer: Pyramid of Menkaure

In 1837, two Englishmen carried out an excavation into the Pyramid of Menkaure. They found a sarcophagus, parts of a wooden coffin that bore Menkaure's name, and a skeleton wrapped in cloth. All items were taken from the pyramid and shipped to England, but unfortunately the ship carrying the sarcophagus was lost at sea. The wooden fragments and skeletal remains made it to England and are currently housed at the British Museum.

This was obviously thought to be an important discovery. No body has ever been found in a pyramid; either the pyramids were not really tombs or they were desecrated long ago. Alas! Modern carbon dating has been used to prove that both items were placed in the tomb long after its construction - as many as two thousand years later.

Answer: Great Pyramid

A list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World dates back to the first century BC; many "experts" composed lists of sights for long ago travelers in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions who wished to see the best of the ancient monuments. They did not agree on all of the best sights to visit, but the list that is most famous today includes four Greek attractions - the Statues of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and Colossus of Rhodes, along with one structure in Mesopotamia - the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and two in Egypt - the Great Pyramid and Lighthouse of Alexandria, which is also credited to Hellenistic Greeks.

They were built at different times from the 2500s BC-280 BC, but visiting all of them on the same trip was difficult as they only coexisted for about sixty years. Ironically, the Great Pyramid is by far the oldest on the list, and the only one that is still standing today. It is virtually intact, although its facade, originally damaged by an earthquake in the 14th century, was removed and the stones were used for other building projects.