Great Pyramids Research Project!, page 1

Probably the best I can contribute, at least initially, is my research on the Giza Pyramids/Egypt that I've already posted on ATS so far...For quite a few years, I've piped into various topics on this & I've been researching Egypt for at least a couple of decades. It's always been a fascinating subject for me & I think this thread may do well with some links to preserve the research I've already posted. Over the past couple of years, the time I can devote to new research is somewhat curtailed, but I can still access a nearby library fairly easily.

Here's some links that, while some (or many) of the posts may be sideline or tangental to this thread & some of the threads are very lengthy already, perhaps the research I've posted can also lead to newer lines of research for other people here.

Some of the best research into Egypt's ancient history I've collected (so far) & how it relates to the Pyramid construction is on page 21 here. I've injected bits & pieces throuout the whole thread, but my single most-cohesive post is on that page. The major post on page 21 describes the historical development of the skills & the power to organize people it takes to undertake such a project.

A more recent thread that deals with the Pyramids is here, but it's a much shorter thread so far.

There's already a lot of threads about Egypt & the Giza Pyramids here on ATS...from the sublime to the ridiculous. Even though there's a lot of info that may not pertain directly to this thread, I would at least suggest using the Search function & see what's in ATS already. If nothing else, some of these other threads may invoke a new line of research for this thread.

To directly reply to at least one of the research goals stated in the OP (why they built the pyramids), I've had some thoughts on that, based upon my research of Egypt's society. Everything they did, everything they thought...Was based on some form or precept of their religion. They were very pious & made sure to consider their religion before taking nearly any action whatsoever. Consider these points: The Pharoah was not only the king over secular & administrative matters, but he was also the High Priest over all others in Egypt. Numerous stelas & other texts indicate that Pharoah had numerous religous ceremonies that he had to perform; if he did not actually perform them personally, he either sent a lesser priest (well, "lesser" to himself, anyway) to do so or had stelas carved to say that he did. To the Egyptians, he represented the ultimate advocate between the gods & the rest of Egypt. It was Pharoah that spoke with the gods & abitrated between them & the mortals.

To the Egyptians, their religion was less of a matter of "Good or Evil" than it was a matter of "Order or Chaos." The distinction is somewhat subtle, but it was there; It was Pharoah that performed the ceremonies that kept the gods doing their jobs to stave off chaos...to them, Egypt was a land of Order & any failure on Pharoah's part meant that chaos would grip the land. Everything outside of Egypt was chaos to them...Everything from the other nations to the very people were all living in chaos. An Egyptian diplomat in foreign nations was considered as hazardous duty, as he left the ordered safety of home to live & work in the midst of chaos, all out of his loyalty & respect for Pharoah.

The pyramids they built were as a celebration & a confirmation of Order, as they saw it through their religion. Take regard in the precision in the stonework & the layout of the locations they used to build them. Let's take regard into the sustained effort it took to keep up with the logistics in supporting the construction. Let's not forget the references that the pyramids were built to "awaken the god that sleeps in the soul" & how deeply they revered their religion & gods. I believe that they built the pyramids for one major purpose...to affirm their religion & maintain the concept of Order over Chaos. I don't think I need to remind anyone at ATS how far a religious fanatic will go in pursuit of his/her beliefs...