TERMS

In various locations around the world - Central American, Egypt, and China - pyramids acquire the terms of their principal identity. A pioneering step was taken by Maxim Yakovenko, in his linguistic report on the meaning of the term “pyramid” at a few locations.  He shows that there are more meanings for the term 'pyramid' in those languages than we have in the Greek and Latin origin. www.world-pyramids.com

The latter agree however on the geometrical meaning as a structure with a base which is a polygon and triangular sides meeting at the vertex. In ancient Egypt pyramids and obelisks stem from a common root, a mythological hill of the sun cult at Heliopolis named 'bnbn' and the words for these monuments are 'mr' and 'txn'. They appear in the hieroglyphs as 2 dimensional drawings of the monuments.

Thus it is taken for granted that in Ancient Egypt this structure is a square base and 4 equal triangular sides meeting at an apex, this famous shape restrained the Greek and Latin meaning, we call it a true pyramid. But the word pyramid is also used to describe another category of shapes where the sides of the structure are stepped, bent or benben shaped. Other words added will indicate the material used in their construction: stone, brick or natural pyramid hill within and so on, Example1, Example2, Example3 and Example4. With more words added we can also tell what function the pyramid served: funerary, ritual, and religious or for any special purpose.

The Ancient Egyptians gave each pyramid a romantic name, Horizon of Khufu; Khafra is Great, Devine is Menkura, Beautiful are the places of Unas etc. These names refer to the king’s pyramid in the surrounding tombs of his courtiers and in other parts of the country, a subject studied in Ancient Egyptian philology. We have modern names and numbering systems for such monuments, which we prefer in our pyramid studies. 

Globally each pyramid has a superstructure and a substructure. In our modern literature, terms are given to all components of superstructure from foundations to the top and to all components of the substructure from entrance to the innermost. On the local scale pyramid terms suffer from disharmony in this nomenclature, nevertheless these items have constituted long lists of terms which become fields in a data base.

CONCEPTS

Pyramids are conceived from monumental projects, historical survivals and religious rituals and beliefs.

Concerning the monumental concepts, pyramid construction is dealt with at the end of this note. Yet no ancient records have been found on: the planning, logistics, building techniques and the general administration of the building project of the pyramid.

Concerning historical concepts, quarry marks on building material at the site and at the quarries have helped calculate some questions on the progress of certain parts of building. They tell something about the administration of stone supplies. Contemporary records and buildings close to the pyramid complex have shed some light on this concept. And accounts on the periods of: construction, maintenance of the cult, neglect and discovery of the monument. Pollen caught in the mortar tells us some things about the flora at the time of building.

Concerning religious concepts, much has been learnt on the origins and functions. We have to understand more on this concept from within the religious pyramid texts found in the substructures of the pyramids of the 5th and 6th dynasties.

Moreover every funerary pyramid was expected to fulfill a number of religious demands, namely:

· The cult of the upper world.
· The cult of the netherworld.
· Some astral cults.
· The cult of the dead king.

The demands mentioned were the motives behind building:

· The superstructure.
· The substructure.
· Partly the corridors.
· All the other complex components served the cult of the dead king.

These demands are not rigid and not necessarily found 100% in every pyramid.