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Introduction to Part III: Combining the knowledge

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2010

Corinna Rossi
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
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Summary

Compared to a temple, a pyramid is certainly simpler from a geometrical point of view. It consists of a square base and four triangular faces, and can be measured by means of a few parameters, such as side-length of the base, height of the face, height of the pyramid, slope of the face and slope of the corner. However, this geometrical simplicity does not necessarily imply that in practice measuring a pyramid is always easy, nor does it prevent theoretical reasoning from being marred by confusion and mistakes.

Besides their simple geometry, another important element is the fact that, unlike other monuments, some of the ancient mathematical sources provide first-hand evidence about the calculations involved in the planning process. Many obscure points still remain to be clarified, but at least we possess some basic information such as, for instance, the way the ancient architects measured the slope of a pyramid.

Another important point is that pyramids have been relatively well-studied, at least those built during the Old and the Middle Kingdoms. Even if materials and building techniques changed over the years, these monuments form a homogeneous group which can be studied as a whole. At the end of the Middle Kingdom there was a significant break in the history of pyramids, and their construction was resumed after two centuries on a completely different basis. Not many New Kingdom pyramids have survived, and in general our knowledge of these monuments is scant and fragmentary.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2004

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