Inside the Pyramids
The walls inside the pyramids have painted or carved in pictures that tell tales of the pharaoh's life. These pictures are known as 'hieroglyphics'.
Hieroglyphics are to Egyptians what the Alphabet is to us. Myth: All Ancient Egyptians wrote and read hieroglyphs. Fact: 99% of the population could not read or write Click on the link below Take a closer look at hieroglyphics and see if you can write your name or a short sentence. |
So we now know that the pyramids were built as a tomb for the Pharaohs who believed they would live on in another life and therefore took everything they would need, such as food, furniture and precious belongings with them into their tombs.
But what else do we know about the inside of a pyramid? The body of the Pharaoh (the mummy) would be placed inside a beautifully coloured stone coffin known as a sarcophagus. This would usually be situated deep inside the pyramid and often underground to keep the body preserved and safe. The inside of a pyramid is like a maze and has seperate chambers (rooms) . Inside these chambers the Pharaoh's treasures and belongings were stored. Unfortunately, over the years, people began to learn of what was hidden inside the pyramids and dug their own tunnels to get inside and steal all the riches. These people became known as 'Tomb Raiders'. In later built pyramids, fake doors and traps were built to deter the tomb raiders and protect the treasures inside. It is even believed that those that entered and stole from the pyramids would have a horrible curse placed upon them. So why were the dead pharaohs called mummies?Click below to discover mummification. Beware, not for the faint hearted! |