Week #4

Ancient Egypt & How it Compares. 

Option #1

To compare the pyramids at Gizeh and the Ziggurats of the ancient near east, one must look to all aspects of each in order to do it properly. To begin with is the most obvious comparison, the juxtaposition of each structures appearance.

            First, while looking at the Ziggurat in Ur we see a rectangle like structure with 3 sets of stairs all leading to the top where there is a series of smaller rectangles leading up to the top of the structure. However it still mostly retains its rectangular like feeling. Everything on a ziggurat is easily seen and it is massively decorated on the exterior to give of richness and holiness. Also, the ancient people of Ur used the Ziggurats as a means of getting closer to the Gods who were perceived to live on holy mountains. Or places that were very high up. The people of Ur made the Ziggurats to worship as closely to the Gods as possible. The intention of the Ziggurats themselves was to get high enough to reach the Gods, so there was no need to put anything on the inside of the temple. As a forethought, Ziggurats weren't made out of large blocks of stone as the pyramids were, but a much easier element to construct with, and sturdy in its own right, mud bricks. These bricks were made one by one by hand, and then easily transported to the building place. Because they were not that big on their own they were easy to create and didn't take the massive amount of manpower and creativity to move as were the 2.5 ton stones used in the creation of the pyramids.

            Now on the other hand we have the Pyramids at Gizeh, most of their lavish decorations are on the interior tombs within the pyramids and the exterior (as it once was) was a simple white limestone with a golden tip. Where as this can be compared to the purity of the Gods of the time period, and is rather impressive in its own right, it was less a feature of timeless carving and detailing than as an overall structure. Also easily compared are the lack of staircases or any obvious means of entry into the Pyramids. They are perceived as one large structure in which only the Gods and the Ka of the deceased pharaohs could enter. Because of this, the main purpose of the pyramid could be found on the interior, not the exterior of this structure. Another obvious difference is the shape of both figures. The Ziggurat of Ur is very obviously shaped as a series of rectangles converging on top of one another, while the Pyramids are very delicately organized into a perfect rendition of one of the triangle family, a Pyramid. (a four sided 3D triangle)

            While there are many differences between these two structures, there are also some similarities shared between them. They were both perceived as holy places for very important people to visit. They were both very large structures both for their time periods, as well as in general. They both took massive amounts of time to create, and great care and attention to detail on the planning and building. They were both revered by the people of the culture in the area, and finally, they were both created in a time period that only had man made tools and labor to construct the structures.