Introduction to the First Part : The golden age of the pyramids (Available in French only)

At the beginning of the Old Kingdom, Egypt entered a new era: a period during which nearly one hundred pyramidal complexes with very different sizes were erected along the western bank of the Nile River. Starting from the reign of Djoser, the mastabas of the previous dynasties were gradually replaced by tombs pyramidal in shape, indeed. Then followed the building of funerary complex ever more impressive, characterized by an always greater perfection of execution, on the plateau of Giza and Dahshur in particular, by the architects of Pharaohs Sneferu, Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. If no other later building inspire a so deep respect due to the dilapidated state in which they are usually found, some of them will deliver many secrets though: fragments of the Pyramid Texts in a sufficient number to constitute a corpus of funerary texts. Access the content of the first part of this dossier ...

Introduction to the Second Part : The survival of the pyramid concept (Available in French only)

The end of the Old Kingdom and the period of political and socio-economic instability that followed did not sound the death knell of the pyramidal architecture. From the Middle Kingdom came many pyramid complex, in fact, mostly built near this green oasis that is the Fayoum. These complexes, although of relatively conventional design, show some notable features: the covering of the entrance to the royal pyramid and the complexification of its internal structure, mainly for security reasons. For similar reasons, the New Kingdom pharaohs dug their tombs close to the Theban Cime, this limestone cliff whose top sports, even today, a pyramidal shape. Thus, the symbolic significance of this geometric concept lasted in Egypt. In Nubia as well, where the "black" Pharaohs built numerous pyramid-shaped tombs. Access the content of the second part of this dossier ...

Introduction to the Third Part : The astronomical orientation of the Pyramids of Egypt

The Old Kingdom pyramids are a few of these architectural wonders whose perfect carrying out does not cease to surprise. Besides their magnificence, they have got a common feature : the cardinal alignment of their faces. Every one of them however shows a specific east-west (or north-south) alignment : a deviation from the cardinal orientation which the bad state of preservation of a few of them naturally emphasizes. In the absence of any contemporary writing telling about the method used to achieve their alignment, numerous hypothesis were put forward, this last century, by world wide Astronomers and Egyptologists : the hypothesis of a polar orientation, the hypothesis of a bissectorial orientation, the hypothesis of an equatorial orientation, the hypothesis of the simultaneous transits, etc. With the help of the most recent astronomical and optical developments, let's study their respective validity. We will then be able to put forward a new theory based upon the repeated sighting of a pair of bright stars, which qualitatively and quantitatively explains the errors in cardinal alignment of the pyramids of Djoser, Huni, Snofru, Khufu, Djedefre, Khafre, Menkaure, Sahure, Neferirkare and Unas, in quite good accordance with the historical chronology and the progress of the Stretching of the Cord ceremony. This result was obtained from the use of the original software leading to determine the astronomical source of orientation of any monument. A free version of this software is put at your disposal so that you too can check by yourself the validity of this new orientation theory. Access the content of the third part of this dossier ...

Further Culture Diff' resources

Dossiers > AstroEgypto : The creation of the world : ancient Egyptian myths and scientific reality
Softwares > AstroSoftwares : Software determining the astronomical source of orientation of any monument
Dossiers > HistoSciences : Astronomie antique et moderne : d'observations en modélisations toujours plus poussées
Publications > Wiki AstroEgypto : Introduction aux méthodes de l'archéoastronomie. Seconde Partie : Application à la détermination de la source astronomique d'orientation d'édifices

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