The pyramids are tombs of kings, built so magnificent and monumental, because the king was considered in Egypt by God. The great pyramid at Giza was built in XXVII–XXV centuries BC. The problem of the construction of the pyramids complex, I will only note some of the finds, giving new important details.
There is a little bit ancient Egyptian sources about how the pyramids were built: around the finished structure had carefully removed all traces of activities. Much more information we get from the unfinished pyramid (e.g., Saqqara): next to them, find possible remains of subsidiary buildings, implements, and there is better seen the technical problems of construction.
Sometimes it is believed that the pyramid is a large right cubes neatly stacked in rows. But in the breaking of the pyramid, done in the Middle ages, seeking the treasures of the Arabs, it is seen that the masonry of irregular stones of different size, something where you can see the solution. At the base are larger units, and to the top they become less. About the art of the construction of the pyramids there are several hypotheses (e.g. assumption of Mark Lehner on the ramps, "girdling" the pyramid). Modern man the erection of such huge structures in such ancient times, it's a miracle made possibly extraterrestrial civilization, but the pyramid is very harmoniously fit into the context of the amazing culture of Ancient Egypt.
The building of the pyramids involved not slaves, and the General population of the country — it was their hard labor for the benefit of the king. At work people were called upon in seasons when there was no need to engage in agricultural work. The actual construction involved highly qualified specialists: architects, superintendents. The greatest number of not so qualified people were involved in the quarries and the stone. Assume that only the construction site was occupied by 20-30 thousand people.
Next to the three pyramids at Giza, archaeologists found a village for the builders — since the 60-ies of XX century, excavations have been carried out. Also found a necropolis where the tombs of the architects, foremen, there is a very poor burial of the dead during construction work. American expedition Mark Lehner at Giza at the end of XX — beginning of XXI century opened the industrial complexes that served the great construction. Was found a copper-smelting workshops, which made tools for the construction of the pyramids. A huge industrial complex was aimed at the production of food for feeding the masses of workers: bakeries (ibid brewed beer), storage for drying fish. Lehner also found the place where sacrifices were offered to deceased kings. This material is told about the wealth of the society in the heyday of pyramidologists, as they sacrificed young but not old animals.
About how much time was occupied by the building, is uncertain. Herodotus, the ancient Greek author of the V century BC, wrote that 20 years have built a road to the pyramid (it might ramp) and 10 years to build the pyramid itself. But we know that Herodotus did not know the Egyptian language, and therefore may have misunderstood what he was told, especially because it's been two millennia since the time of construction. More reliable information is ancient Egyptian inscriptions on the stone blocks that built the pyramids. But most of these inscriptions is hidden deep in the pyramids, because these are the working notes of the ancient foremen. In unfinished buildings sometimes find such notes, which recorded the name of the construction team and the date when the work was finished (perhaps brigade competed).
In 2011, on the red sea (Wadi al-Dzharf) French archaeologists have found the port since the construction of the great pyramids. From this Harbor sailed the Egyptians in the Sinai in Wadi Maghara and Serabit-El-Khadem, where the mined copper ore (on the blocks of the pyramids there are traces of copper tools). Papyri from Wadi El-Dzharf contain very interesting data about the construction of the great pyramid, but they are not yet fully published. In particular, the working diary of the man who led the team involved in the delivery of high-quality limestone from Tours for the cladding of the pyramid. Today we see "naked" (like step) pyramids, initially, the buildings were perfectly smooth, lined with white limestone from Tura. He was taken from the other shore of the Nile, from the river of paved channels to bring the stone closer to the pyramids (the harbour, the pyramids also found expedition Mark Lehner). The front of the pyramids of Giza took off in the Arab period, it was used to build medieval Cairo mosques.
The inscriptions on the blocks of the pyramids give reliable information about who owned the buildings. So it was established that the pyramid of Cheops really belonged to him. Above the burial chamber of the king, there is a low space that was intended to ensure that the top of the pyramid pressed into the burial chamber (the so-called "discharge chamber"). On the ceiling one of these areas of paint were removed the characters — "Horizon of Khufu" (the name of the pyramid), we know from other sources, in particular now of the papyri of Wadi al-Garfa (Cheops, Herodotus calls the king, and the Egyptians called him Cheops).
The pyramids were built of local limestone. Expedition at Giza Mark Lehner showed that the quarry was located no farther than 300 meters from the site. Giza was chosen as the place where there is enough limestone for construction. For some works, the materials were transported from afar. The burial chamber inside the pyramid of Cheops is lined with huge granite slabs. They drove almost a thousand kilometers from the South of Aswan, where was the granite quarry. In Aswan details passed rough handling, they are marked, and locally granite slabs polished dolerite tools. The nobles who directed the work, in the inscriptions in their tombs they proudly reported that their king had sent for material for the pyramids. With the job the officials did, and the king praised them. The reward could be the resolution of the construction of the tomb close to the pyramid of the king.
