Example research essay topic: Art History The Pyramid Of Cheops - 1,456 words

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Art History The Pyramid of Cheops Introduction In this art history assignment, the writer is portraying (himself / herself ) as one of the Viziers of the Pharaohnic King Khufu who has been assigned to undertake the prestigious project of building a pyramid which will help the Kings soul to rise into the heavens and take his divine ordained place among the Gods after his death. This project in the reign of the present ruling King of Egypt is going to be the largest project in the history of mankind with unheard numbers of craftsman and laborers performing magnificently amazing task to build a pyramid that will remain to amaze and puzzle the future world because of its asymmetrical design and aura of mystique and myth that it will possess for eternity. This pyramid project will be known by the name of The Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza by the future generations of the world. (King Tut One. Com & Pyramid Challenge) Background to the Building of the Pyramid The knowledge of building pyramids has never been recorded or documented therefore the building of each new pyramid requires innovation and the experience and knowledge of a good construction team that has its workforce consisting of traditional stone work craftsman are gifted artisans.

The pyramid building period is around twenty years and the project must be completed during the life time of the King if possible and the main workforce is to be utilized are to consist of laborers and stone masons for the transportation of stones weighing from two to nine tons each from the quarries of Aswan and Tura to the river banks and from there through barges that will sail through the hippo and crocodile infested waters of the River Nile. With the offloading of these gigantic stones, they would be further transported from the opposite banks of the River Nile to the project storage and work site, where the stonemasons would work around clock and around the years to cut and shape the stones into blocks. The pyramid site has also be chosen carefully and the architect must design the pyramid in a manner that it faces a particularly relevant angle that would give direct access to the Kings soul in its flight towards the heavens. (King Tut One. Com, Pyramid Challenge & The Great Pyramid of Giza) Culture of Life Styles of the Pyramid Builders In the initial stages of pyramid building, a purpose built village has to be build to house the workers in neat rows of mud brick houses with terraces and life styles ensured for their comfort through the provision of all necessary worldly goods made from papyrus, clay pottery, iron and copper tools, cotton clothing and toys for the children with a self sustaining infrastructure where the pyramid workers community would settle with permanence. (Pyramid Challenge) Workforce for Pyramid Building A workforce of between 20, 000 to 25, 000 people would be required inclusive of 4, 000 primary quarry workers, haulers, masons and laborers who would be supported by the remaining secondary workers for doing the ramp building, tool-making, mortar mixing and the various other support and backup services. While the primary workers would be permanently based in the purpose built village, the secondary workers would be temporary and be doing three to four months shifts and living in the temporary quarters alongside the pyramid village, where there would also be an industrial complex where bakery items and workers tools would be made. The pyramid village would also generate its own economy through the bartering and buying of consumer products such as clothing, food and other necessary consumer items.

The pyramid village must also have its own graveyard where the workers or their family members would be buried in solemn ceremonies and their graves and tombs would include miniature pyramids and other expensive stone elements. The tombs of the supervisors will be inscribed to indicate the type of work and the responsibilities they had while carrying out the construction work of the pyramid. Through the sophisticated manpower management system the workers would be split up into small gangs of 20 s at the bottom rung of a hierarchy systems that would work with perfection with command and control at the top of the hierarchy triangle in my firm hands to manage the project. Considerations shall be given to the smallest details such as the allocation of workers being made on the basis of whether they are left-handed or right-handed so that they would accordingly be assigned duties such as the rowing of the barges etc. to mobilize their strengths to the fullest. The completion of this project shall only be possible through the excellent bureaucratic planning and practice through which the services of 25, 000 workers will be the efficiently monitored to accomplish the seemingly impossible task of raising the pyramids to heights that the whole world has never seen or imagined before. (Pyramid Challenge) Methods of Pyramid Building The most important feature in the building of the pyramids is going to be the guarding of the secret technology and advanced engineering knowledge with which this great pyramid will be built.

Qualified supervisors, foreman and gang handlers will however be required for the moving of large blocks on sliding logs attached to thick ropes with laborers pulling them from the front towards the work site and others pushing the blocks from behind. At the same time another team of laborers would remove the end logs and transport it again to the front of the block and this cycle would continue till the block eventually reached its final destination. The moving of the blocks from a technical point of view is the easy part, but the theory and practicality of placing each of the stone block around the pyramid parameters and the utilization of the lifting gear for such large blocks is a secret which will never be passed on to the future generations so that they may marvel, wonder and vie to match the extraordinary feats of engineering that we, the people of the age of the great pyramids have mastered to such perfection so the our technology keeps on baffling the scientists and all those future generations whose eyes shall befall on our man built creations that shall also be visible from the heavens above us and admired with amazement for the size, volume and design. (King Tut One. Com) Engineering Feat in Pyramid Building Among the astonishing engineering feats required in building the pyramids, the slopes should ascend at a steady 51 degree with the sides perfectly positioned toward the north, south, east and west and the maximum allowable error between the side lengths of 229 meters should be lesser than 0. 1 % and pyramid height should be at exactly 145. 75 meters.

With an intricate network of galleries, corridors and escape shafts that leads to the Kings burial chamber and the interiors stones fitted so with such perfection that even the passing of a card would not be possible though them. The secrets that the pyramid will hold will teasingly be disclosed to the world but never ever be fully revealed. The number of required stones blocks will be between 2 million and 2. 3 million and each one will weigh in excess of two tons. Theoretically these many stone blocks would suffice to build a 3 meter high and 3 meter thick wall to run around the whole of France or to accommodate in their entire combination the cathedrals Florence, Milan, and the Saint Peters in Rome, the Westminster and Saint Pauls of London within the structured area of the great pyramid of Cheops. (Ancient Egypt, The Great Pyramid of Giza & Scale Model of the Ancient Pyramid) Conclusion While the Great Egyptian Pyramid of Cheops will remain as the only surviving Wonder of the original Seven Ancient Wonders of the World, it shall be described in wonderment with regard to its shape, size and appearance by historians poets and by all people who gazed upon it in many different way but it will be best defined by the Arabic proverb, which will mean: Man fears Time, yet Time fears the Pyramids. (The Great Pyramid of Giza) Perhaps in appreciation of the wonder that I shall build for the great King Khufu, it is likely that an impressive tomb shall be made in my honor in the Valley of the Kings when I die.

Works Cited: Ancient Egypt (Accessed: April 17, 2007) web King Tut One. Com (Accessed: April 17, 2007) web Pyramid Challenge, Ancient History (Accessed: April 17, 2007) web Scale Model of the Great Pyramid (Accessed: April 17, 2007) web The Great Pyramid of Giza (Accessed: April 17, 2007) web

Research essay sample on Art History The Pyramid Of Cheops