Pyramid

{{hatnote|Were you looking for [[Pyramid scheme]]?}}
[[File:Egypt 2012 n120.jpg|thumb|right|225px|The Great Pyramid of Giza]] 
{{pseudohistory}}
A <b>pyramid</b> is typically a five-sided three-dimensional object, though four-sided is not uncommon. The majority of the sides are triangular in a five-sided pyramid. One angle from each of these triangles meets at a point (this is considered "top"). The fifth side is a square. Four-sided pyramids have triangles for all four sides. The regular tetrahedron, a [[Plato]]nic solid with four faces, takes the shape of a pyramid with equilateral triangles for its base and sides.

There are some rather famous [[Giza pyramids|pyramids in Egypt]]. They are huge stone structures that were built (by flesh-and-blood human beings who were mostly not slaves<ref>[https://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/who-built-the-pyramids-html Who Built the Pyramids?] ''Harvard Magazine.''</ref> and certainly ''not'' extraterrestrials{{cn|joke}}) as the tombs for ancient [[pharaoh]]s.

==Pyramid woo==
Some people believe pyramidal structures have special powers, for [[healing]], calming, focusing [[spiritual]] [[Subtle energy|energies]],<ref name=brown>''The Pyramid: How to Build It, How to Use It'' by Les Brown (1978). Apex Publishing Company.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpqwQpo4nXU Harnesing{sic}} Pyramid Energy by Les Brown] by PatrioticWarrior (Sep 16, 2011) ''YouTube''.</ref> growing and preserving food,<ref name=brown/> or sharpening razor blades.<ref>[http://amasci.com/freenrg/tors/drbl.html Czech patent for pyramid razor-blade sharpener (1959)]</ref><ref>{{wpa|Pyramid power}}</ref> You can even buy pyramidal frames to wear on your head.<ref>http://www.shambhalahealingtools.com/Buddha_Maitreya_Head_Pyramids_Pyramid_Grids_s/20.htm A snip at $175!</ref> While whatever someone thinks helps them [[Meditation|meditate]] is fine, they should keep in mind that there is no basis in [[reality]] for these beliefs.

Some [[woo]] merchants ascribe the building of ancient pyramid structures by geographically isolated peoples as being evidence for the mystical nature of pyramids. [[Erich von Däniken]] belongs to the select group of fools claiming that the pyramids (Egyptian and Mesoamerican) were built by outsiders, such as [[Atlantis|Atlanteans]] or [[Extraterrestrial|aliens]].<ref>[http://www.skepdic.com/vondanik.html Ancient astronauts: Builders of ancient monuments?]</ref>

Another common rationale for pyramids having been built with the help of aliens is: How could an ancient civilization have built something so grand with such limited tools? Problem is, that line of thought falls into a ''gross'' underestimation of human ingenuity – we've achieved more sophisticated feats of engineering having developed the right tools, but ''any'' human achievement is staggering and improbable if you don't consider the history of its development.

===Claimed connection to myths in the Bible===
[[File:Joseph (San Marco).jpg|rght|thumb|200px|13<sup>th</sup> century Italian depiction of the Egyptian pyramids as [[Joseph (Old Testament)|Joseph's]] grain stores.]]
The [[Bible]] makes no mention of the Pyramids, but this has not stopped imaginations from drawing connections with the biblical narrative about the [[Israelite]]s in [[Egypt]], likely due to laypeople conflating the two things they know about ancient Egypt. Standard chronology dates the building of the most prominent pyramids from about 2700 BCE to about 2100 BCE.{{fact}} 

[[James Ussher|Ussher's]] [[Creationism in the United Kingdom|creationist]] chronology has these relevant dates: 2348 BCE for [[The Flood]], 1921 BCE for the call of [[Abraham]], 1491 BCE for the [[Exodus]]. This places the era of pyramid-building to include [[Global flood|the Flood]], which would have been rather inconvenient for their builders. And it is even more difficult to reconcile with the tradition going back to [[Josephus|Titus Flavius Josephus]] that the pyramids were built by Israelite [[slave]] labor shortly before the [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]]. Some creationists (including [[Ben Carson|at least one US presidential candidate]])<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/05/ben-carson-egyptian-pyramids-were-grain-stores-not-pharoahs-tombs?CMP=twt_gu?CMP=twt_gu Ben Carson: Egyptian pyramids were grain stores, not pharaohs' tombs]. ''[[The Guardian]]'', 5 November 2015. Retrieved 11 November 2015.</ref> have claimed that the pyramids were, in fact, grain stores built by [[Joseph (Old Testament)|Joseph]] &mdash; which raises some questions about the purpose of their internal structure and decoration.

There is also a question about the energy source used by the Twelve Tribes as they migrated across the Sinai Desert following the [[Book_of_Exodus|Exodus from Egypt]]. Obviously, they had some way of totally vaporizing the garbage of two million people, include metallic and ceramic waste, because diligent modern archaeologists have been unable to find any evidence of their passage. Whether there was some way of directing a beam of awesome energy from the Great Pyramid onto a reflector shield of a hovering Mother Ship, and redirecting down onto the altar of the Tabernacle or some other rubbish heap, sublimating every last atom, or some other method, has yet to be scientifically investigated.

===Antarctic pyramids===
[[File:Antarctic conspiracies.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|Google Earth was a mistake.]]
Since the first missions to [[Antarctica]] early in the 20<sup>th</sup> century, there have been stories about a mysterious pyramid discovered on the chilly continent near the south pole. British explorers in the early 1910s found a pointy rock and named it the Pyramid and included it on their maps; this rock has sometimes been the object of theories about secret pyramids despite it not being at all secret.<ref>[http://www.iflscience.com/editors-blog/the-truth-about-the-mysterious-pyramid-discovered-in-antarctica/ The Truth About The Mysterious "Pyramid" Discovered In Antarctica], IFL Science</ref> From 2012 to 2016 a new round of rumours spread, linked with photographs that show something apparently in Antarctica with regular triangular sides.<ref>[http://www.ancient-code.com/researcher-discovers-a-huge-pyramid-in-antarctica-using-satellite-images/ Researcher discovers a huge Pyramid in Antarctica using Satellite Images], Ancient Code</ref> Skeptics have questioned the pictures, suggesting they may show a natural structure photographed in a particularly flattering way.<ref>[https://owlcation.com/humanities/Debunking-the-Pyramids-of-Antarctica-myth Debunking the Pyramids of Antarctica Myth], Owlcation.com, June 7, 2016</ref>

The rumors were linked with a couple of famous visitors to Antarctica in late 2016. [[John Kerry]] made an uneventful November 2016 trip to Antarctica just when [[Donald Trump]] was sweeping to electoral victory.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/11/07/americas-top-diplomat-is-en-route-to-antarctica-this-election-day/?utm_term=.c5c6b7d3515e America's Top Diplomat is En Route to Antarctica This Election Day], Washington Post, 11 Nov 2016</ref><ref name=redflag>[http://www.redflagnews.com/headlines-2016/astronaut-buzz-aldrin-tweets-we-are-all-in-danger-it-is-evil-itself Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Tweets "We are all in Danger. It is evil itself"], Red Flag News, 2016</ref> In contrast, shortly after he was medically evacuated from Antarctica on Dec 1, 2016,<ref>[http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/503973422/buzz-aldrin-is-medically-evacuated-from-antarctica Buzz Aldrin Is Medically Evacuated From Antarctica], The Two Way, NPR, 1 Dec, 2016</ref> astronaut [[Buzz Aldrin]] is rumored to have tweeted "We are all in danger. It is evil itself." along with a picture of the Antarctic ice pyramid — and then he rapidly deleted it.<ref name=redflag/><ref>[https://www.superstation95.com/index.php/world/2639 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Tweets "We are all in Danger. It is evil itself"], Super Station 95, Dec 7, 2016</ref><ref>[http://beforeitsnews.com/conspiracy-theories/2016/12/a-mysterious-tweet-by-astronaut-buzz-aldrin-2478714.html A Mysterious Tweet by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin], Before It's News, Dec 2016</ref> The precise date of the tweet isn't known, but it was being reported on 7 December. It's not entirely clear what's going on here, although Aldrin is noted both for his sense of humor and intolerance of [[conspiracy theorists]]. It's also not obvious why you would fly Buzz Aldrin to Antarctica to investigate a mysterious pyramid.

==Why did geographically separated cultures build pyramids?==
[[File:0505280017PThompyramid.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Pyramid in Koh Ker, Cambodia.]] 
At a quick glance, it may seem odd that cultures as diverse as the Mayans and the Egyptians would build oddly similar structures. Both cultures were inspired by religion, but the usage and construction techniques varied.

===Physics determines the stability of a structure===
Quick experiment: Try to stack four oranges together. What's your first instinct on how to do this? Illuminati confirmed.

Jokes aside, ancient peoples chose the approximate pyramid shape because it was the one most suitable for the building of large structures, based on materials available at the time. Go in to your garden and try to build a structure made of earth as high as your waist. The easiest way to do this is to build a mound, or something similar to a pyramid. We can determine this with a few hours spent digging in the garden, so is it unrealistic to expect that ancient engineers could achieve a similar realization without requiring assistance from aliens or [[Atlantis|Atlanteans]]?

A comparison of Mesoamerican and Egyptian pyramids reveals clear differences in their respective designs. Mesoamerican cultures normally built step-pyramids, where the tiers are clearly visible. Egyptian pyramid design began with step pyramids, transitioning to forms that had a smooth finish by addition of a limestone casing. The underlying steps are visible where the limestone casing has eroded or been removed, as has happened to the Pyramid of Cheops.

===Evolution of the pyramid===
[[File:Choghazanbil2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Ancient ziggurat in Iran.]]
As is the case with biological [[evolution]], similar traits can independently evolve. The appearance of the wheel could be ascribed to Atlanteans seeding geographically isolated cultures with the invention, or one could reason that a round shape is the most efficient choice for the construction of wheels. Given that the ancient [[engineer]]s were facing the same physical constraints, it's reasonable to assume that they may converge on a similar solution.

Pyramids did not simply appear in their final forms. A study of the pyramids of Egypt and Africa reveals a clear progression from the mastaba, typically single-tiered structures, to the Pyramid of Cheops &mdash; and the intervening structures.<ref>[http://library.thinkquest.org/10098/egypt2.htm The evolution of the Egyptian pyramid]</ref> Early pyramids, such as the {{wpl|Step Pyramid of Djoser||,}} resemble a series of mastaba stacked on top of each other, with each tier being smaller than the one below it. Hey, isn't it odd that the tallest and most stable hills and mountains tend to have a relatively smooth gradient?

The development of pyramid building techniques is comparable to the progression of skyscrapers. The Empire State Building did not simply spring into existence in one piece.{{cn|joke}} Prior to its completion, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest human-made construction in the world. There is ample evidence of this progression, right back to the crude buildings of pre-history.

===Differing motives and uses of pyramids===
The Egyptians built their pyramids as tombs, since their beliefs required that the body be preserved in order to achieve immortality. This is why pharaohs went to great efforts to protect their tombs. Mesoamerican pyramids were predominantly built as places of worship and ritual. Therefore, unlike Egyptians, Mesoamericans commonly built their pyramids with a temple complex at the summit.<ref>{{wpa|Mesoamerican pyramids}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px>
File:Tomb of the General 1.jpg|Ancient Korean tomb.
File:Sudan Meroe Pyramids 2001.JPG|Ancient Nubian pyramids in Sudan.
File:Saqqara pyramid ver 2.jpg|Pyramid of Djoser.
File:Monk Mound - Flickr - GregTheBusker.jpg|Pre-Colombian pyramid near Collinsville, Illinois.
File:Porta San Paolo - Piramid Cestius.JPG|Pyramid of Cestius in Rome, Italy.
File:PyramidOfTheMoonTeotihuacan.jpg|Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacan, Mexico.
File:Borobudur Temple.jpg|Borobudur Temple in Indonesia.
File:Chichen Itza 3.jpg|Temple of Kukulcan in Chichen Itza.
File:Candi Sukuh 2007.JPG|Sukuh Temple in Indonesia.
File:Pyramid_Tombstone_in_Sharow_Churchyard_-_geograph.org.uk_-_327872.jpg|Grave of Charles Piazzi Smith {{lived|1819|1900}}, Egyptologist and Astronomer Royal for Scotland, in Sharow, North Yorkshire, England.
File:Luxor Hotel.jpg|Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas
File:Pyramide Güimar.jpg|One of the Pyramids of Güímar in Spain.
File:Dzibanche, Building 1, Temple of the Owl (14364450242).jpg|Temple of the Owl in Mexico.
File:Yummy pyramid (4067025825).jpg|Delicious pyramid.
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Bosnian pyramids|Bosnian "pyramids"]] (spoiler: Not actually pyramids)
*[[Crystal healing]]
*[[Giza pyramids]]
*[[Pyramid scheme]]
*[[Pseudoarchaeology]]
*[[Sphinx of Giza]]

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

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[[Category:Pseudoscience]]
[[Category:Mathematics]]
[[Category:Ancient Egypt]]
[[Category:History]]

Categories: Pseudoscience, Mathematics, Ancient Egypt, History