Exploring Ancient Mysteries: How the Pyramids of Giza was Built
Choose one (1) of the topics below and develop a three to four (3-4) paragraph essay (of at least 250-500 words) which adequately address the topic you have chosen.
Topic Choices
•There have been many theories regarding how the pyramids at Giza were constructed. Most experts agree that they were constructed as burial monuments for pharaohs, but “how” these ancient people constructed monuments of such great size without modern machinery is a mystery which is still being debated.
•No one can say for certain what happened to the great urban Mayan civilization, but theories abound and include varied possible alternatives to explain the relatively abrupt and mysterious disappearance of the Mayan civilization.
•Tutankhamen died young, at approximately eighteen (18) years of age. However, his cause of death has been the subject of quite varied scholarly theories and conclusions. Did he die of an injury, of illness, of murder, or something else?.
•Minoan Crete was a major civilization in its time, but several theories have been advanced to explain its demise, including speculations associating it with mythical Atlantis. What were the causes of Minoan Civilization's decline?
•Great Zimbabwe is an enormous complex of structures in East Africa. Since the builders and occupants left no written records, several theories have developed as to the identity of its builders and the functions of the structures. Which theory makes the most sense?
•The monumental size and complexity of the Tomb of Shihuangdi is astounding, yet its location and construction details were to be kept secret. What was the emperor’s purpose for such an elaborate, secret burial place?
•Other topic choice recommended and approved by the professor and supported by the grading rubric.
Write a three to four (3-4) paragraph paper in which you:
1.Clearly state the “mystery” and provide a brief summary of at least two (2) reasonable and scholarly theories which could explain the mystery. Because some theories may sound far-fetched, include the source or promoter of each theory – such as a scientist, a historian, a theologian, etc.
2.After summarizing at least two (2) scholarly theories, identify one (1) of the theories as the most plausible and provide at least two (2) convincing reasons why the theory you have chosen is the best one to explain the mystery. This will involve some critical reasoning skills on your part.
3.Use at least two (2) sources plus the class textbook. (Three [3] sources total as the minimum) Note: Wikipedia and other similar Websites do not qualify as academic resources. You are highly encouraged to use the Resource Center tab at the top of your Blackboard page.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
•Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA style format. Both in-text citations and a References list are required. Citations and references must follow APA style format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. (Note: Students can find APA style materials located in the course shell for guidance).
•Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length. For our purposes, you may omit any abstract page.
Exploring Ancient Mysteries: How the Pyramids of Giza was Built
By:
[student’s name]
[course]
[University]
[date]
Exploring Ancient Mysteries: How the Pyramids of Giza was Built
The Pyramids of Giza, the biggest of which is the Great Pyramid of Khufu, is the oldest of all the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – and it is the only one still substantially erect. Currently standing at roughly 455 feet, Egyptologists say that it would’ve taken 2.3 million blocks and 20 years to complete its construction. For 3,800 years, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. Its workmanship is so exact that many researchers find it difficult to accept that the ancient Egyptians could design and construct such an architectural feat.
No wonder, for many years, one of the most important theories of its construction is the Ancient Astronauts Hypothesis, the most influential proponent of which is Erich von Daniken. In general, the Ancient Astronauts Hypothesis states that it is extraterrestrial beings have visited the Earth and may have made contact with human beings. Daniken in particular says that these extraterrestrial astronauts have influenced early human culture, hence enabling several cultures to create cultural legacies that were far too advanced for the technologies prevalent during the time periods when these cultures lived.
Through our own advances in science and technology and achievements in space travel, we know for a fact that there is a great probability for other intelligences to exist in our universe ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "container-title" : "Philosophy of Science and Occult", "edition" : "1st ed.", "editor" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Grim", "given" : "Patrick", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "1982" ] ] }, "page" : "234-286", "publisher" : "SUNY Press", "title" : "Selected Cases from the Condon Report", "type" : "chapter" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=d9171c4b-22a1-4484-a5b5-3f25f9cea7be" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(Grim, 1982)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(Grim, 1982)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(Grim, 1982)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(Grim, 1982). We may not have yet developed the technology for intergalactic travel, but it does not mean other intelligences have not been able to do so, too. After all, just recently, we have been able to discover 500 other Earth-like planets several light years away from our own galaxy. Space travel is both possible and probable, and our inability to discover the exact way that the Pyramids were built only strengthens the fact that the technology utilized to construct it was too far advance for our ancient evolution. The reality was that it was even more probable to say that aliens taught us the technology to build the Pyramid than to say that ancient Egyptians learned to create tools to shape stones when the rest of the world was still learning language.
Of course, as technology advanced, the Ancient Astronaut Hypothesis was slowly being replaced by scientific researches that explained how exactly the Pyramid was built. The latest of these theories was proposed by Jean-Pierre Houdin in 1999. According to Houdin, the ancient Egyptians utilized an external ramp ADDIN CSL_CITATION { "citationItems" : [ { "id" : "ITEM-1", "itemData" : { "author" : [ { "dropping-particle" : "", "family" : "Houdin", "given" : "Jean-pierre", "non-dropping-particle" : "", "parse-names" : false, "suffix" : "" } ], "id" : "ITEM-1", "issued" : { "date-parts" : [ [ "2006" ] ] }, "publisher" : "Farid Atiya Press", "title" : "Khufu: The Secrets Behind the Building of the Great Pyramid", "type" : "book" }, "uris" : [ "/documents/?uuid=2fad5632-cdb2-4c72-afc8-b56388775864" ] } ], "mendeley" : { "formattedCitation" : "(J. Houdin, 2006)", "plainTextFormattedCitation" : "(J. Houdin, 2006)", "previouslyFormattedCitation" : "(J. Houdin, 2006)" }, "properties" : { "noteIndex" : 0 }, "schema" : "https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json" }(J. Houdin, 2006) to build the base up to 30% of the current height of the pyramid. After this, they began to build from the inside-out using an internal ramp that worked like an elevator to take the stones higher. Unfortunately at the time, Houdin could not prove his theory except through various circumstantial evidences (presence of the Grand Gallery which did not s...