Exploring the Ancient Pyramids of the World
If there is one structure that still gives rise to great amounts of interest, speculation and awe, it’s the ancient pyramids.
Oftentimes when we think of the pyramids, we concentrate our attention on the most famous –– the Egyptian pyramids so often featured in movies and travel magazines.
But there are actually many more pyramid locations other than Egypt, including Central America, China and beyond. You may be surprised by the varied places you can find pyramids across the world –– including underwater.
By delving into more pyramid facts, we can unlock more information and understanding about these sizable structures, their prominence throughout the world, and even their relevance for those throughout the world.
What Exactly is a Pyramid?
While you may have initially learned about the pyramid shape in geometry class, architectural pyramids are a bit more complex.
Generally the shape of pyramids include at least three outer triangular surfaces which join together at a point at the top, with the base being any number of shapes with multiple sides. This means that the base of a pyramid could be a square or other polygon.
Pyramids were generally built this way in order to distribute the majority of the weight closer to the ground, meaning less pressure coming from the top. This also allowed the builders of the pyramid to more easily constrict the structures using dry stone construction.
Pyramids in Ancient Civilizations
While the general pyramid structure generally remains the same, each civilization that constructed pyramids did so in a slightly different way. Let’s take a look at a few of the civilizations that lay claim to impressive ancient pyramids, and why each one is worth a closer look.
Egypt
The three famous ancient pyramids found in Egypt are what most people think of when they think of the pyramids. Current Egyptologists believe the Great Pyramid was constructed for Pharaoh Khufu, and is situated the furthest north.
Said to have been constructed in 2551 B.C., it used to measure about 147 meters, it now stands at around 137 meters, and contains more than 2 million blocks. The Great Pyramid was deemed one of the Seven Wonders of the World by the Greeks, and is the only one that has survived to the present day.
Another one of the over 100 pyramids in Egypt is the Pyramid of Djoser, built for his namesake the Pharaoh as a mausoleum. This pyramid is more of a step pyramid design, which involved six successively smaller layers and a flat top.
Mesopotamia
Of course, the pyramidal structures of Mesopotamia, or ziggurats, also deserve a nod for their place amongst the greatest pyramids of the world, as they were among the first to build them.
Many Mesopotamian groups built ziggurats, made of sun-dried mud-brick, although much of these structures have since deteriorated. Based on textual evidence, it appears that the multilayered structures built in Mesopotamia may have also had shrines at the top.
Perhaps one of the most significant of these ziggurats is the Ziggurat of Ur, located in what is today Ur, Iraq. The Ziggurat of Ur was built for the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu in the mid-21st century B.C. Though over time the structure eroded, it has been restored both in the 6th and 20th century.
Guatemala
On the other side of the globe, in what is today Guatemala, the ancient Mayan civilization left behind the pyramids of Tikal.
Since Tikal was such an important center for the Maya, it served as a natural place to put the pyramids. The tallest of these in Pyramid IV, which stands at about 65 meters. After the Maya abandoned the site, the pyramids were not found again for almost 800 years.
Today, these pyramids are now considered an UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
Largest Pyramids of the World
While there are different ways to determine which pyramids should claim the prize of largest pyramids of the world, some pyramid researchers have used basic geometrical formulas to do so. In other words, the length of base multiplied by the width and height, times one-third to arrive at the determination for the largest pyramid.
Based on those calculations, Ancient Explorers determined that the five largest pyramids are as follows:
- Bent Pyramid
- Red Pyramid
- Pyramid of Khafre
- Great Pyramid of Khufu
- Great Pyramid of Cholula
Does it call your attention that all but for the number one slot are located in Egypt?
Perhaps the most intriguing part about the Great Pyramid of Cholula, located about 50 miles southeast from Mexico City, is how hidden it is. If one didn’t know what they were looking for, they might just think that they had come across a large hill.
But the pyramid’s history remains shrouded in mystery. While it stood at four football fields wide upon completion (by an unknown people in that area of Mexico), an unknown something happened to it around 600 AD, resulting in much of it being destroyed.
Following inhabitants of the area attempted to restore and change it, but by the time the Spaniards arrived, it had succumbed to Mother Nature, masked by greenery and vegetation.
Hidden Pyramids Around the World
In addition to the many pyramids we know to exist, there are also many pyramids that may be hidden throughout the world. Among these places include:
- Bosnia – An amateur archaeologist has allegedly discovered the Pyramid of the Moon, believed to be the world’s oldest and largest step pyramid.
- China – Some Chinese archaeologists estimate that a hidden pyramid, located roughly 40 miles southwest of Xian, was constructed during the Hsia Dynasty between the years 2205 and 1767 B.C.
Exploring Additional Pyramid Theories
If these ancient pyramids and pyramid facts leave you wondering if there might be more to the story of pyramids and their role on the earth, you may want to dive a little deeper into the pyramid theories, including mathematical precision, secrets, and possible functions. Or, you may opt to build your own.
What else might your research reveal about pyramids? Likely much more than the movies would suggest.
Want more like this article?
Then don’t miss Ancient Civilizations on Gaia. Inside, we take you on a journey through Humanity’s suppressed origins and reveal the secret code left behind by our ancestors.
About the Author
The Book of Enoch Might Tell a Different Story of the Pyramids
Biblical stories are often fantastical, unbelievable, and sometimes confusing when it comes to interpreting their meaning. Of the apocryphal biblical texts, there are few more enigmatic and fascinating than the Book of Enoch, and in certain sects of Christianity, these books are still part of the dominant biblical canon. But could clues from these texts provide evidence of a completely different story of our ancient ancestors, namely one involving visits from an advanced extraterrestrial race?
Giants in the Book of Enoch
When the Book of Enoch was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, it became clear it was a piece of literature that influenced biblical writers of the time including those who wrote the New Testament. So why is the Book of Enoch not in the Bible?
Today the Book of Enoch is only included in the main canons of Ethiopian Orthodox sects but was popular for hundreds of years in ancient Jewish perspectives. In fact, in understanding the Book of Enoch, some have pointed out that it was likely the inspiration for the Book of Genesis, due to a number of parallels.
Within the book, we find the story of Enoch who was the father of Methuselah and grandfather of Noah. He lived for 365 years up until the great flood that wiped out much of the population. Enoch was taken away in a fiery chariot before the great floods by the Archangel Michael, who some have interpreted as being extraterrestrial. Could that fiery chariot actually have been a spacecraft powered by a jet-engine?
The book that details the story of Enoch is extensive with over 100 chapters dispersed throughout several books, detailing accounts of the Nephilim and the Watchers. These giants, known as the Nephilim, are also described in the Book of Genesis. The giants are said to have been the progeny of angels, known as The Watchers, and female humans.
The ancient astronaut view of these biblical stories sees these Watchers as an advanced extraterrestrial race, who were perceived as angels, some good and some bad. Their presence among our human ancestors is thought to be either the reason we exist on this planet — the extraterrestrials being our progenitors — or the reason we advanced rapidly as beings capable of starting complex civilizations.
Some point to a particular passage that describes an account from Enoch’s grandson, Lamech, during the birth of his son, which read:
“And his father, Lamech, was afraid of him and fled, and come to his father Methuselah. And he said to him: ‘I have begotten a strange son, different and unlike man, and resembling the sons of the God of heaven; and his nature is different and he is not like us, and his eyes are as the rays of the sun, and his face is glorious.”
This was a description of Noah who would later go on to build the ark and survive the flood, sent to wipe out the Nephilim and cleanse humanity of its impurities.
But what was Enoch’s relationship with the Nephilim and the gods who created them? Enoch’s grandson was chosen to build the Ark to survive the flood, while Enoch himself was taken away by the “angels.” Could Enoch have left behind any clues for humanity that could have survived the flood? Some point to the ancient pyramids in Egypt as the answer.
The Book of Enoch and The Ancient Sumerians
There is some crossover in the biblical texts of Enoch and ancient Sumerian texts, particularly when it comes to the Watchers. Known as the Annunaki, or visitors from a planet called Nibiru, the Sumerians also looked upon these Watchers as gods, showing a crossover between the two ancient cultures. In the Book of Enoch, there is also mention of the great Sumerian ruler Gilgamesh, who often describes the Annunaki in much the same way Enoch describes the Watchers.
Throughout the bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh, the gods often did not like to show their faces and communicated through transmitters where the voice of the gods could be heard, but not seen. Today, we have technology like this, allowing us to speak to people without seeing their face, could they have been referencing something like a telephone or telecom?
Ancient astronaut theories have interpreted this secrecy as extraterrestrials not being able to take off their helmets and having bases on mountains, which were kept hidden from humans. This is a recurring theme in biblical texts and particularly the Epic of Gilgamesh. In fact, in the seventh tablet of the Epic of Gilgamesh, he describes being brought to a door that speaks like a living person — much like the intercoms we’re familiar with today.
The ancient Sumerians also built pyramids of their own, called ziggurats. These ziggurats were places of protection during floods and were also topped with thrones for their gods. Erich von Däniken says he believes that the Egyptian pyramids could have also been built for a similar purpose, protecting something from the great flood of biblical texts.
Like the Epic of Gilgamesh, some believe there to be a lost 10th Sumerian tablet that details how the Annunaki built the pyramids in Egypt, which could draw a definitive connection between these two advanced ancient civilizations and an advanced visitor race.
A False Narrative of the Pyramids
As it turns out, the Great Pyramid at Giza, otherwise known as the Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu, may not have been attributed to the person who ordered its construction. It seems there is actually significant evidence the pyramid was not built by Khufu, and the only reason historians and archeologists date it to the 4th dynasty is due to a questionable discovery by English Egyptologist, Major-General Richard Vyse.
Author and alternative theorist, Zecharia Sitchin, found that there is ample evidence that Vyse, after spending over a million dollars on an expedition into the upper chambers of the Great Pyramid, came up empty-handed and forged the cartouche of Cheops.
