Egyptian Pyramids Trivia Quiz

Mastabas

Pit burials were for the simpler folk throughout ancient times in Egypt. Pyramids were not used till the start of the Third Dynasty with King Zoser / Djoser. Rock cut tombs started to be used when the burial areas moved to Southern Egypt.

Zoser / Djoser

The architect was Imhotep, one of the few known architects in ancient times. Djoser’s pyramid is located at Saqqara.

No

There are many pyramids in Northern Egypt. Other sites are: Abu Rawash, Saqqara, Abu Sir, Helwan, Medum, Dashur, Hawara and el Lahun to name just a few.

Medum

It was enlarged as a step pyramid twice and then to a true one, but had many flaws in construction through all its phases. For a picture of this pyramid see: http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/egypt/egy30.html

80+

Many pyramids haven’t been found or excavated since they look like small mounds of rubble. Some are also too unstable to be excavated or entered safely.

All of these

It’s a very unusual pyramid both inside and outside. His Northern (Red) Pyramid has cedar beams on the interior as well. There is no clue as to what their function were, especially since the interiors were also filled with stone. Both also have two entrances.

Khufu’s at Giza

While Khafre’s pyramid is taller, it has a smaller base than Sneferu’s Northern (Red) one at Dahshur. That puts the Sneferu’s Northern one in second place with Khafre’s in third and the Bent Pyramid in 4th place.

All of these

The Valley Temple was located at the edge of the Nile floodplain (yearly inundation area). With the rise in the water table many are “lost” in swampy areas or in the case of Khufu’s are under a modern town. The Mortuary Temple is the upper temple where the king’s morturary cult was maintained, not where the body was preserved. These were connected by a causeway.

Unas

These were the spells to get him to the after-life and are referred to as the Pyramid Texts. By the Middle Kingdom they were painted on coffins and become what are called the ‘Coffin Texts’. In the New Kingdom they are written on scrolls and are commonly known as ‘The Book of the Dead’.

Khafre’s

Abou el Hol or Hor as it is known means the ‘father of fear or terrors’. The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a man. Some say that it is of Khafre himself. It is near Khafre’s Valley Temple and has a temple of its own.

It has some of its original outer casing still in place at the top

All the other pyramids have lost their outer casings. Many of the stones were used to build the mosques of Cairo.

Khufu’s

There are actually two but only one was excavated and restored. The other is still sealed in its original underground pit.

All of these

There are actually three chambers. The four “air” shafts are aligned to stars. They were found by chance because they were closed off at both ends. No other pyramids have used them so it isn’t known if they were air shafts or had a ceremonial function.

No

Most of the pyramids were opened and plundered in the First Intermediate Period. Bodies have been found in them but from much later eras.

All of these

Other places that had pyramids are Mesoamerica, France, Greece, India, Mesopotamia and North America. They may be called by other names (Ziggurat, platform mound, etc.) but are still pyramid-form. Some are flat-topped.