History of Pyramid Construction Thru the Ages

The following listing begins with the stepped mastaba, the step pyramids, bent pyramid, and continues on to the Great Pyramid of Kufu and subsequent dynasties trying to emulate Sneferu and Kufu's building techniques. Sneferu built the first true pyramid and his son Kufu, built the largest!

I had always wondered why after the great pyramid building age the tombs were of much lesser dimensions. I just discovered that around 2150 BCE, the dynastic power was waning and then there was a 50 year period when there wasn't any Nile flooding. A huge famine overtook the people and the giant building projects came to a close. Once the Nile began flooding again, the desire for such huge projects seemed to have subsided.

The color coded table gives you an idea of the time frame and the most important phases used to finalize a true pyramidal shape.

If you are interested you can also read about the Ptolemies up to Cleopatra's reign.

See the Egyptian word for pyramid - 'Mer' for a description of how the word pyramid came into our vocabulary.

Animated Ankh
The Age of Pyramid Pyramids
Animated Ankh
Dynasty
Structure
 Pharaoh
Location
Year BCE
Base (m)
Height (m)
Late
Predynasty
Burial Mounds
 - - 3000 Plus - -
Early Dynastic Period

1st
Stepped Mastaba
 - Saqqara
2920
to
2770
 - -

2nd

Funeral Enclosure Khasekhemwy Abydos 2770
to
2649		 - -
3rd

2649
to
2575

2649
to
2575

Step Pyramid
Djoser
(First Stone Pyramid)
Saqqara 2630
121
x
109
60
Unfinished Sekhemkhet Saqqara 2611 120 7
Layered Pyramid
Khaha
 Zawiyet
el-Aryan		2603 84 20
Old Kingdom

4th

2575
to
2465
Collapsed Pyramid
Sneferu
 Meidum 2575 144 92
Bent Pyramid
Sneferu
 Dahshur 2575 188 105
North Pyramid
Sneferu
 (Builder of the First True Pyramid)
Dahshur 2575 220 105
The Great Pyramid
Khufu
Son of Sneferu (Builder of the Largest Pyramid)
Son of Sneferu (Builder of the Largest Pyramid) 		Giza 2551 230 146
Pyramid
(Destroyed by Khafra)
Djedefre
Son of Kufu
(8 Year Reign)		 Abu Roash 2528 106 67
Second Giza Pyramid
 		Khafra
Son of Kufu		 Giza 2520 215 143
Third Giza Pyramid
Menkaure
Son of Kufu		 Giza 2490
102
x
104
 65
5th

2465
to
2323

Pyramid Usrekaf Saqqara 246573 49
Pyramid Sahure Abusir 2458 78 47
Pyramid Neferirkare
(Last of the large Pyramids) 		Abusir 2446 105 72
Pyramid Niuserre Abusir 2416 78 51
Pyramid Djedkare-Isesi Saqqare 2388 78 52
Pyramid Unas Saqqare 2356 57 43
6th

2323
to
2150

Pyramid Teti Saqqare 2323 78 52
Pyramid Pepi I S.Saqqare 2289 78 52
Pyramid Merenre S.Saqqare 2255 78 52
Pyramid Pepi II S.Saqqare 2246 78 52

2150
to
2100

50 Year
Famine
End of
Huge Pyramidal
Constructions 		** -- -

** During the 12th Dynasty - 1991 to 1783 BCE - another spurt of building was accomplished, five pyramids were build with a base of 105 meters and varying heights of 48 to 78 meters. These were located in the region around Dahshur. This was the last gasp of monumental pyramid construction in Egypt. The temple complexes at places such as Karnak would now be build and added onto by numerous pharaohs for many years.

 

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