Over the course of this semester, we have discussed amazing works of architecture and fascinating histories from all around the world. It’s almost impossible to pick one as the “most interesting” from all of the insanely beautiful and incredible sights we’ve seen. However, in my heart, one group of people has always had the strongest pull – and that would be the Egyptians. When I heard we would cover the Pyramids of Giza, I was delighted – even though I’ve already taken Professor Watrall’s Archaeology of Ancient Egypt course and had learned all about it. I never get tired of hearing about the state of the ancient Egyptians or the marvelous works of architecture and art they created.

One of the topics regarding Egypt I always found hilarious, and a little frustrating, was how people have come up with so many crazy theories on how the pyramids were created. While it took a while for archaeologists to figure out exactly how they moved the stones and that it was skilled workers and not slaves that worked on it, I still can’t believe that people would be so insulting as to insist that the Egyptians themselves could not build it. When I saw the Pyramids for the first time, my first thought was “how?” not “who?”.  Especially strange is how these people always focus on supernatural theories (commonly) and not more “advanced” societies. They just assume it had to be aliens because they do not want to acknowledge that people they see as “primitive” or “inferior” could build someone they could not conceive of themselves (this is a very common theme through most of the sites that we discussed in the class).

Another one of my points of interest in Egypt is their amazing and complex burial and mortuary rituals. Imagine if presently we still built huge pyramids just to bury someone important – say, the president. It just seems silly, right? The reasons behind their drive to build these amazing monuments is fascinating to me. I think it’s also interesting that in ancient times, it was very common for wealthier people to be buried with a large quantity of trinkets, elaborate clothes and tombs, and sometimes even other people. I always thought it curious how at some point, it was decided that this was no longer necessary. The wealthy may have nicer coffins, and maybe a mausoleum or small monument – but nowhere near the scale of our ancestors.