It was only during the time of the Old Kingdom that
the ancient Egyptians built pyramids to hold the royal tombs of their
kings. Pyramids were huge structures. Pyramids had storage rooms, courtyards,
secret passageways, and all kinds of fancy traps designed to catch robbers who
tried to break into the pyramid to rob it.
Pyramids
were full of treasures. The average person created grave
goods to take with them to their afterlife. Imagine the
treasures a pharaoh might feel were necessary to bring along!
The first pyramid, the Step Pyramid, was built
around 2700 BCE, nearly 5000 years ago! Pyramid construction was
abandoned after the time of the Old Kingdom. It was simply too easy to
find a pyramid. Grave robbers knew exactly where the pharaohs were
buried, and thus knew exactly where to find riches and wealth. If you
were caught, the penalty for grave robbing was death.
The
ancient Egyptians did not simply build a pyramid, bury a pharaoh, and
walk away. A whole city grew up around a pyramid during its
construction. These cities were called pyramid cities. The pharaoh
provided homes for everyone who worked on the pyramid construction.
People were paid for their work in goods and food and homes. After a
pyramid was finished, the pyramid city continued to exist. Some of the
people who stayed had jobs maintaining and guarding the pyramid. Others,
like bakers and basket weavers, were merchants who created needed
goods.
