Pyramids appear all over the world.
Archeologists and geologists have explored pyramids all over the world. The fact that ancient people built these huge monuments without benefit of industrial machinery fascinates scientists. Ancient people used different types of materials to build different pyramids depending on the natural materials available. In some cases, builders shipped large stones from great distances to build these monuments.
Bricks
The earliest materials used in the pyramids were basic bricks. Workers formed these bricks from mud and straw. The bricks formed the walls of the pyramids. Wood planks supported more bricks for the ceiling. Bricks had drawbacks when building a timeless monument. Bricks have limited strength and will not support heavy weight, which limits the size of the pyramid. Bricks erode in sun and rain. Over time, any brick crumbles. Pyramid builders moved on to other materials for the main support of their buildings.
Limestone
Limestone forms when shells and other natural calcium-laden sediment are pressed for millennia under tons of earth and water. Referred to as sedimentary rock, calcium-rich limestone breaks down quickly in an acidic environment. This makes it a wonderful and long-lasting material in the deserts of Egypt. Nearby quarries gave the Egyptians access to the limestone. Stonecutters used saws, drills and chisels to cut the giant blocks. Large blocks of lower-quality limestone formed the base and interior of the pyramid, while finer quality limestone covered the exterior.
Pink Granite
Granite forms from a variety of smaller granules of rock such as quartz and feldspar. Pink granite, with it's pieces of iron chips, give Egyptian granite its pink tone. Egyptian builders used pink granite to line the walls of the inside of pyramids. Regardless of its strength, very little granite forms the structure of pyramids as it was difficult to quarry with primitive tools.
Basalt
Another native Egyptian stone is basalt. Basalt is a fine-grained igneous stone. Like granite, basalt is a combination of minerals and very strong. The fine grain gives basalt a smoother final appearance. In Egyptian pyramids, basalt formed floors and mortuary rooms. Basalt mines dot the Egypt river valley. The rock resides deep in the soil. Archeologists theorize that the rock rode barges from the quarries to the work site.
Alabaster
Softer and more easily carved, alabaster lines many rooms in pyramids. The walls tell tales with hieroglyphs carved into alabaster insets. Formed from limestone and gypsum, alabaster quarries of Egypt gave workers easy access to this ornamental stone. Alabaster does not weather well, so the only surviving alabaster stonework exists inside the pyramids.
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