The+Kings'+Tombs

= By Michael Villenenuve and Matthew Horton = The Tombs of the Egyptian Kings and Queens SS6 Key Terms: Pyramids: huge buildings with four sloping triangle shaped sides Mummy: a dead body preserved in life like condition Pharoah: the title of the kings of ancient Egypt Giza: an ancient Egyptian city; the site of the Great Pyramid

=Introduction: = The ancient Egyptians believed in the afterlife. They performed tedious burial rites to prepare a body/spirit for their arrival in the afterlife. The burial of dead royalty was very elaborate. Pyramids were built to house the coffin and many accessories needed to go to the afterlife.The pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes. There are about eighty pyramids known today. The three largest and best-preserved of these were built at Giza. The most well-known of these pyramids,the Great Pyramid, was built for the pharaoh Khufu.

Building the Pyramid:
The building of pyramids of Egyptian kings and queens was planned shortly after the pharaoh was crowned. Visiting Egypt today can only make one marvel at the long hours and strenuous labor that was necessary to build a pyramid. A pyramid could take more then twenty years to build.The first step was to choose the site to build which was along the Nile River. The largest pyramid was 482 feet tall and had about 2,300,000 stone blocks. It is still debated how these ancient people were able to design such a wonder. The sides of a pyramid were set exacty facing north,south,east, and west.

The next step was to prepare the blocks. Heavy stones were brought from nearby quarries as well as from outside areas such as Nubia. The blocks were then cut into the proper shape and size for the pyramid. It is believed that workers used lever systems, roller, and sleds to lay the stones in place. This was an incredible feat for this time period that didn't have modern machinery. This was dangerous work and many workers died. If a worker died this way, it was believed that he helped the pharoah be welcome into the afterlife. When the pyramid was almost finished, a special block covered in shining metal (either gold or electrum) was placed on the top of the pyramid. Finally, blocks of limestone were used to cover the pyramid. The blocks were trimmed to make the outside of the pyramid smooth. Now the pyramid was done.

The Great Pyramid:
The Great Pyramid was built in Giza. Also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, Khufu's Pyramid, and Pyramid of Cheops, it was the largest of the pyramids, and weighed 6 million tons upon completion. The average stone measured five thousand pounds. In addition to the Pharoah's tomb, three other small pyramids were constructed for the queens. The second-largest pyramid of Giza was built for Khufu's son Khafre (Chephren), who became the fourth king of the Fourth Dynasty. The Great Sphinx, near Khafre's pyramid, is believed to be a royal portrait of Khafre. The last of the pyramids to be built was the Pyramid of Menkaure (Mycerinus), son of Khafre and the fifth king of the Fourth Dynasty. The Giza Valley Plateau consists of 11 Pyramids, 4 Valley Temples, 3 Mortuary Temples, 3 Procession ways, and the Sphinx. Many mysteries surround the pyramids. For instance, the fact that the sides of the pyramids align exactly north, south, east and west suggest some astrological meaning to its position. A remarkable characteristic of it's placement on the earth, the Great Pyramid lies in the center of gravity of the continents. It also lies in the exact center of all the land area of the world, dividing the earth's land mass into approximately equal quarters.



Valley of the Kings Hidden behind the Theban Hills, on the West Bank of the Nile, lies the Valley of the Kings, a limestone valley where tombs were built for the Pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom during the 18-21st Dynasties. It was chosen as the burial place for most of Egypt's New Kingdom rulers because it is surrounded by steep cliffs, and easily guarded. Nearby was a separate cemetery for queens and members of the court. It was called the Valley of the Queens.

The death of the pharaoh was accompanied by a formal announcement, "The falcon is flown to heaven and (his successor) is arisen in his place". It took over 70 days for the mummification process. The funeral parade began at the royal palace and ended in the Valley of the Kings. At the head of the parade were priests who sang songs and chanted prayers. One of the priests wore a mask with a dog face on it which was supposed to represent Anubis, the god of mummies. The pharaoh's queen walked nearby, followed by a group of women crying and tearing at their clothes to express sadness over the pharaoh's death. After the mourner's came servants carrying food, furniture and other items to go into the tomb. They also brought many little statues that looked like servants. These statues were placed in the tomb with the belief the statues would come to life and the dead king would have all the servants he needed to take care of him. At the entrance to the tomb, the mummy was placed upright for a very important ceremony called, "The Opening of the Mouth". This ceremony was believed to bring the pharaoh back to life. After the mummy was buried in its tomb, the mourners took part in a great feast. Everyone was joyful now for the dead king, for he was about to enter the Land of the Dead. He would live forever and be happy. The following lists some of the important tombs that have been discovered in the Valley of the Kings. Additional tombs are unoccupied, the owners of others remain unknown, and some are merely pits used for storage.
 * Important tombs **
 * || Ramesses VII ||  || Thutmosis I and Hatshepsut ||
 * || Ramesses IV ||  || Amenhotep II ||
 * || Son of Ramesses III ||  || Ay ||
 * || Ramesses XI ||  || Tuthmosis III ||
 * || Sons of Ramesses II ||  || Amenhotep III ||
 * || Ramesses IX ||  || Tuthmosis I ||
 * || Ramesses II ||  || Amenhotep I ?? ||
 * || Merenptah ||  || Hatshepsut Meryet-Re ||
 * || Ramesses V and Ramesses VI ||  || Tuthmosis IV ||
 * || Amenmeses ||  || Userhat ||
 * || Ramesses III ||  || Amenemipet ||
 * || Seti II ||  || Tutankhamun cache ||
 * || Ramesses I ||  || Tiye or Akenaten ?? ||
 * || Seti I ||  || Horemheb ||
 * || Ramesses X ||  || Tutankhamun ||

In 1090 B.C., Egypt's economy collapsed, leading to the emergence of tomb robbers. Almost all of the tombs were ransacked. Tutankhamun's tomb had very little missing, and it is believed the robbery had been interrupted. Because of the robberies, this was the last year the valley was used for burial.

The Valley of the Queens The Valley of the Queens, also known as Biban el-Harim, Biban el-Sultanat, and Wadi el-Melikat, is a place in Egypt where wives of Pharaohs were buried in ancient times. In ancient times, it was known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning - 'the place of the Children of the Pharaoh', because along with the Queens of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties many princes and princesses were also buried with various members of the nobility. The tombs of these individuals were maintained by mortuary priests whom performed daily rituals and provided offerings and prayers for the deceased nobility.

Important tombs include: daughter of Hubalznet: ||
 * __Tomb no. 30__ - Nebiri (probably), Head of the Stable, Dynasty XVIII ||
 * __Tomb no. 33__ - Princess Tanezem(t) Dynasty XX (?) ||
 * __[|Tomb no. 36]__ - Princess, no name ||
 * __[|Tomb no. 38]__ - Queen Sitre' wife of Ramesses I ||
 * __[|Tomb no. 40]__ - A Queen, cartouche blank ||
 * __Tomb no. 42__ - Prince Para'hirwenemef, Charioteer of the stable of the Great House, son of Ramesses III ||
 * __[|Tomb no. 43]__- Prince Set-hirkhopshef, King's son, Hereditary prince of the royal children of his Majesty, Charioteer of the Great Stable. Son of Ramesses III. ||
 * __[|Tomb no.44]__ - Prince Kha'emweset, Sem- priest of Ptah. Son of Ramesses III. ||
 * __Tomb no. 46__ - Imhotep (probably) Vizier. Tuthmosis I. ||
 * __Tomb no.47__ - Princess 'Ahmosi Daughter of Sekenenre'-Ta'a and Sit-dhout: ||
 * __[|Tomb no.51]__ - Queen Esi II mother of Ramesses VI,
 * __[|Tomb no.51]__ - Queen Esi II mother of Ramesses VI,
 * __[|Tomb no. 52]__- Queen Tyti Ramesside ||
 * __Tomb no. 53__ - Prince Ramesses son of Ramesses III ||
 * __[|Tomb no. 55]__- Prince Amen(hir)khopshef Royal Scribe, Overseer of Horses, son of Ramesses III ||
 * __Tomb no. 60__ - Queen Nebttaui daughter of Ramesses II ||
 * __[|Tomb no. 66]__ - Queen Nefertari Wife of Ramesses II ||
 * __Tomb no.68__ - Queen Merytamun daughter of Ramesses II ||
 * __Tomb no.71__ - Queen Bent'anta daughter of Ramesses II ||
 * __Tomb no.73__ - A Princess, no name. Dynasty XX ||
 * __Tomb no.74__ - Queen Tentopet Great King's mother and King's wife ||
 * __Tomb no.75__ - A Queen, no name ||

A hundred metres east of Tomb 47 in a small valley. Dynasty XVII || Fun Facts: The great pyramids of Egypt now stand a full 3 miles south of the spot where they were originally built. That's how much the earth's surface has shifted in the last 4500 years. The biggest Pyramid in the world is not in Egypt. It's actually about sixty miles southeast of Mexico City, Mexico. It covers more than forty acres and the largest Egyptian Pyramid, The Great Pyramid at Giza, covers about 13 acres. The Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt, constructed around 2500 B.C., was the tallest building in the world until the Eiffel Tower was erected in 1889. Quiz True or False 1. The pyramid is the only remaining structure of the 7 wonders of the ancient world. 2. The three major Egytian Pyramids at Giza are aligned to the three stars in Orion's belt.
 * __Unnumbered Tombs and Pits__**
 * Queen Mut. . . perhaps Tuy (Mut-tuy), wife of Seti I, mother of Ramesses II. West of Tomb 66. ||
 * 'Ahmosi King's son, son of Nebsu and Ian
 * Princess Neferhet King's daughter, New Kingdom. Probably south-east of Tomb 75 ||

Multiple choice: 1.For which of the following pharoahs was the Great Pyramid made? A.Tutankhamun B.Seti I C.Khufu D.Ramesses X

2.About how many blocks were used to build the largest pyramid? A.about 1,000,000 blocks B.about 500,000 blocks C.about 2,300,000 blocks D. about 980,500 blocks

3.Where are the Three Great Pyramids located? A.Giza B.Babylonia C.Assyria D.The Many Tombs

4.Which of the following is not associated with Khufu's son? A.Kafre B.Sphinx C.   Chephren D. Hatshepsut

True or false ** 1.Because the tombs were being robbed, the Valley of the Kings was no longer used for burials.
 * Bonus:


 * Multiple choice**

2.About how heavy was the Great Pyramid after completion? A.100,000 tons B.6,000,000 tons C. 10,000,000 tons D. 4,000 tons

** Links: **
[|**Introduction and Overview of the Great Pyramid**] [|**Picture Tour of the Great Pyramid**] [|Video of the Great Pyramid] Works Cited"Building a Worthy Resting Place." __Unitedstreaming.com__. Jan.-Feb. 09."Mummies." __Brainpop.com__. 25 Dec. 08."Pyramid fun facts." __Funny facts about what we live in,com__. 16 Jan. 2009.