New findings in Cairo make Egyptology more challenging

By P.G. Punchihewa

CAIRO (JP): The recent discovery of a treasure trove of exceptional paintings, reliefs and statues in the cave tombs of Saqquare, outside the Egyptian capital, Cairo, will no doubt throw additional light on Egyptology.

Ancient Egypt was one of the earliest cradles of human civilization. Five thousand years ago, agriculture, commerce and industry were in an advanced stage of development in Egypt. Cities were established and art and architecture flourished. Technology and science had advanced. Writing in the form of hieroglyphics had developed. On the bedrock of this civilization was created its finest flower, the pyramids, the only one of the seven wonders surviving today.

Pyramids are found in a number of countries, but Egypt has the most, with nearly eighty so far unearthed along the West Coast of River Nile. Saqquare, where the treasure trove was found, houses one of the Egypt's and world's first pyramids. Known as the step pyramid because of its six tiers, it was the forerunner for the latter day pyramids. Built more than 4600 years ago during the time of Pharaoh Zoser (2700 B.C.) it certainly would have been the biggest and finest monument built by that time any place on earth. It was meant to be a ladder by which "the soul of dead Pharaoh might climb to the sky, joining the gods in immorality". The pyramids formed a part of a complex which included a wall enclosing numerous other buildings. The step pyramid is said to have been designed by a great architect named Imhotep who was also a well-known sculptor.

While the step pyramid was the forerunner it is the three great pyramids in Gaza along with the sphinx which take one's breath away. Here the pyramid has transformed from the step to a smooth surface. Of the three, two are about the same height and the third is smaller. The bigger of the first two, built by Pharaoh Cheops, originally measured 146 metres and has more than 2.3 million cubic metres of fine cut stone. The second, built by Pharaoh Khafre, is 136.5 meters high. The smallest of the three with a height of 66 meters was built by Pharaoh Menkaure. The Great Pyramid is said to occupy an area twice that of the colosseum in Rome. Napoleon once calculated that there was enough stone in the Great Pyramid to build a ten foot wall around France.

As a sentinel to the Great Pyramid is the huge monument with a human faced lion now known as the Sphinx. It is carved out of a rock which is 21 metres high and is supposed to be the portrait statue of Cheops the builder of the Great Pyramid. Although it has been defaced and is battered by the weather over millenniums, is still creates an awe inspiring feeling. Adjoining are the remains of the Temple of the Sphinx.

Questions that have found no answers reverberate in one's mind when standing in front of the pyramids. Why were they built? What purpose did they serve? How were they built?

Many theories, based on everything from religion to mathematics, try to explain the pyramid. The most accepted theory is that they were royal tombs built by pharaohs in such a way that the pharaoh could unite with the gods. It was a road to heaven. Inside the numerous chambers, clay vessels and supplies needed by the pharaoh in the next world have been found. The belief was that each pyramid sheltered the body of a departed Pharaoh.

With more discoveries there are doubts about this theory. With the discovery of two pyramids credited to the same pharaoh the widely accepted theory has been challenged. If they were to be royal tombs why should there be two for the same person. Discovery of a pyramid without a dead body further fueled the theory that they were not royal tombs. This led to the belief that they were not tombs but were funeral memorials. There are still others who believe that they were built by the pharaoh as a means to keep idles workers employed especially during the wet seasons. But this too does not answer all the questions. Some attribute a possible astronomical role to the pyramid, as most of them align with the four cardinal directions.

The golden age of the pyramid lasted for about 500 years. The latter day pyramids do not have the grandeur of the Gaza ones. The declining resources of the pharaohs could be a reason. A large pyramid employing thousand of workmen and took more than 20 years to complete.

Today Ramses II and some other pharaohs lie in their native land in a special room in the Cairo museum keeping. They keep the world guessing as the nearby Nile river which nurtured their civilization continues to flow as it did when they were the god kings on earth.