Engineering and Construction in Egypt's Early Dynastic Period [Hardcover]

Throughout history people have marvelled at the pyramids, from theelemental beauty of the Step Pyramid of Djoser to the monumental scaleand engineering achievement of the Great Pyramid in Giza. The knowledgeneeded to build such grand monuments was vast, but not acquiredovernight. The precursors to the pyramids, the massive mud brick tombsof the First and Second Dynasties, reveal a high degree of proficiency,ingenuity and capability by the architects, engineers and builders ofthat time. These mud brick structures, built almost five centuriesbefore the Giza pyramids, reveal a structured and well organised societywith well developed construction and management skills. In fact, theconstruction time and labour force requirements in these earlierstructures were efficient and small in comparison to ventures in theproceeding Dynasties. It is through these structures - and thedevelopment of the skills and diversity of industries required tosustain the building of them - that the foundation for the economic andsocial development of future generations and the dawn of large scalestone construction was laid.