The pyramids of ancient Egypt remain some of the world’s greatest and most enduring monumental achievements. For some three hundred years, pyramids were built to house the mortal remains of Egyptian kings and queens. We will explore the function and significance of the pyramid form, and the evolution of its architecture over Egyptian history. While some details how these monuments were built remains elusive, the discovery of the diaries of the Inspector Merer, an official who oversaw a crew of workers, in 2013 provides important new insights into their construction and the lives of their builders.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• M. Lehner, The Complete Pyramids: solving the ancient mysteries (Thames and Hudson, 2008), ISBN: 9780500285473
• P. Tallet and M. Lehner, The Red Sea Scrolls: How Ancient Papyri Reveal the Secrets of the Pyramids (Thames and Hudson, 2022), ISBN: 9780500777015

COURSE OUTLINE

• What makes a pyramid? The form and function of a pyramid complex
• The pyramid builders: who were they and how was it done?
• The earliest pyramids: Djoser, Sneferu, and the journey towards the ‘true’ pyramid
• The Great Pyramids
• The pyramids of the later Old Kingdom and the start of the pyramid texts
• The revival of the pyramid in the early Twelfth Dynasty
• Connection to the past: the post-Hawara pyramids
• The end of the pyramid age: the pyramids of the early New Kingdom
• The Napatan pyramids: a much later revival

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Recognise the main super- and sub-structural features of a pyramid complex
2. Understand the development of pyramid architecture across time
3. Assess the function and significance of architectural features
4. Consider the evidence for how pyramids were built, and the lives of those who built them