February 11, 2011- Egypt

Inside the Egyptian Pyramid-
http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/inside/
King's Chamber- Consists of an empty sarcophagus. The floor and walls are smooth and the floor is usually made of pink granite. The Egyptians designed  this chamber to withstand alot of weight and pressure, they did this by building five low-roof chambers that are covered by big bricks. This keeps the room from crumbling inward.
Grand Gallery- The walls are made of polished sandstone and it has steps leading to the king's chamber or the queen's chamber.
Shafts- The shafts allow air to come into the king's chamber, the shafts were built as "a path to the stars" which allowed the Pharaoh's soul to escape.
Queen's Chamber- Located under the king's chamber, and it is slightly smaller. It is closed to the public.
Underground Chamber-Oldest chamber in the pyramid, never completed, low levels of oxygen

Major Egyptian Pyramids-
http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/information/
The Great Pyramid of Egypt- 146 meters tall, but time has worn it down to138 meters. Made up of 2 million blocks of limestone. Belonged to the Pharaoh Khufu, and it once held his body.
Khafre Pyramid- 53 degree angle, 148.5 meters tall, stands on the northern side of the Gaza Plateau
Menkarue's Pyramid-66.5 meters tall angle is 51 degrees. Pyramid was not complete when Menkarue died so his son Shepseskaf.


Building The Pyramids-
http://www.kingtutone.com/pyramids/building/
There are only theories of how the pyramids were built. Some of the theories are by moving large blocks and stones under logs then they just repeat the cycle. In order to place the stones in the right place they must have used a ramp that went around the pyramids sides. Its estimated that the Great Pyramid took almost 20 years to build.

Ancient Egypt-
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/egypt/pyramids.htm
The ancient pyramids were built to hold the pharaoh's body after it was mummified . The tombs were designed to protect their bodies and their belongings. Most of the pyramids in Egypt are built to the west of the Nile River. The dry desert is a good spot because it keeps the bodies and the belongings from decomposing and rising. The Sphinx protects the Pyramid of Giza, it has the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh. The Egyptians believed that when they died they made a journey to another world to start a new life, called the afterlife.

Facts on Egypt-
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/egypt/mummies.htm
How were mummies made-

1. The body is washed and purified 
2. All organs were removed except for the heart
3. Body was filled with stuffing
4. The body was covered with natron
5. After 40-50 days the stuffing was removed
6. Body was wrapped in linen, called a shroud
7. The body was placed in a stone coffin called a sarcophagus

Natorn is a natural salt