t in place forthe pyramid. One theory involves the construction of a straightor spiral ramp that was raised as the construction proceeded. This ramp, coated with mud and water, eased the displacement ofthe blocks which were pushed into place. A second theory suggeststhat the blocks were placed using long levers with a short angledfoot (Clare). When it was built, the Great pyramid was 481 fthigh. Each side is carefully oriented with one of the cardinalpoints of the compass. The horizontal cross section of thepyramid is square at any level, with each side measuring 751 ftin length. The structure consists of approximately two millionblocks of stone, each weighing more than two tons. Theoverwhelming scientific and historic evidence still supports theconclusion that, like many smaller pyramids in the region, theGreat Pyramids were built by the Ancient Egyptian civilizationoff the West bank of the Nile as tombs for their Kings; Tombswhere Khufu, Khefre, and Menkaure could start their mysticjourney to the afterlife. After a ruler died, his or her bodywas carefully treated and wrapped to preserve it as a mummy.According to ancient Egyptian belief, the pyramid, where themummy was placed, provided a place for the monarch to pass intothe afterlife. In temples nearby, priests performed rituals tonourish the dead monarch's spirit, which was believed to staywith the body after death. In the Old Kingdom, Egyptian artistspainted and carved on the walls of the burial chamber, designedto safeguard the dead monarch's passage into the afterlife(Macaulay). All the pyramids were aligned to the cardinaldirections, meaning that their sides ran almost exactly duenorth-south and east-west. Most pyramids rose from desertplateaus on the west bank of the Nile River, behind which the sunset. The Egyptians believed that a dead monarch's spirit leftthe body and traveled through the sky with the sun each day. When the sun set in the west, the royal spirits ...
