Glossary
Glossary
Key terms and phrases to know for comprehension
An ancient Egyptian papyrus logbook. Discovered in 2013, this book provides a first-hand account of a crew transporting limestone blocks from Tura to Giza, serving as definitive proof of human labor and logistics at the site.
A "city of the dead" located on the Giza Plateau that includes the three Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and numerous smaller tombs (see: "Mastabas") that served as the resting places of officials and workers.
The archaeological name for the "Lost City of the Pyramids". It is a 4th Dynasty settlement located south of the Sphinx that housed the specialized labor force. Excavations and research led by Mark Lehner provides substantial evidence of the labor force's diet, health, and social organization.
A now defunct branch of the Nile River that reached the base of the Giza Plateau during the Old Kingdom. This channel allowed massive stones necessary for the construction of the Pyramids to be transported directly to the construction site by boat.
A type of ancient Egyptian tomb that takes the form of a flat-roofed, rectangular structure with inward-sloping sides. These mastabas were typically built for royal officers and were found near the king's pyramid.
A period in Egyptian history taking places across the Third through Sixth Dynasties. This period is characterized by the first peak of civilization and, notably, the construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza.
The use of selective archaeological evidence to promote non-scientific, often sensationalist theories about the past that lack grounding in the scientific method. One such example is the "Ancient Aliens Hypothesis", the notion that claims that aliens or otherwise supernatural intervention were responsible for the creation of the Pyramids of Giza, a theory that often ignores the logistical and material evidence of human agency.
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