Gardners Art through the Ages A Global History

lation into stone of structural forms previously made out of plants

may be seen in the columns(FIG. 3-7) of the North Palace (FIG. 3-6,

no. 9) of Djoser’s funerary precinct. The columns end in capitals

(“heads”) that take the form of the papyrus blossoms of Lower

Egypt. The column shaftsresemble papyrus stalks. Djoser’s columns

are not freestanding, as are most later columns. They are engaged

(attached) to walls, but are nonetheless the earliest known stone

columns in the history of architecture.

The Old Kingdom

The Old Kingdom is the first of the three great periods of Egyptian

history, called the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, respectively.

Many Egyptologists now begin the Old Kingdom with the first

pharaoh of the Fourth Dynasty, Sneferu (r. 2575–2551 BCE), al-

though the traditional division of kingdoms places Djoser and the

Third Dynasty in the Old Kingdom. It ended with the demise of the

Eighth Dynasty around 2134 BCE.

Architecture

The pharaohs of the Old Kingdom amassed great wealth and ex-

pended it on grandiose architectural projects, of which the most

spectacular were the Great Pyramids of Gizeh, the oldest of the

Seven Wonders of the ancient world (see “Babylon, City of Won-

ders,” Chapter 2, page 48). The prerequisites for membership in this

elite club were colossal size and enormous cost.

GREAT PYRAMIDS, GIZEHThe three pyramids (FIGS. 3-8

and 3-9) of Gizeh were built in the course of about 75 years

(see “Building the Great Pyramids,” page 60) as the tombs of the

Fourth Dynasty pharaohs Khufu

(r. 2551–2528 BCE), Khafre (r.

2520–2494 BCE), and Menkaure

(r. 2490–2472 BCE). They rep-

resent the culmination of an

architectural evolution that be-

gan with the mastaba, but the

classic pyramid form is not sim-

ply a refinement of the stepped

pyramid. The new tomb shape

probably reflects the influence

of Heliopolis, the seat of the

powerful cult of Re, whose em-

blem was a pyramidal stone,

the ben-ben (see “The Gods and

3-7Detail of
the facade of the
North Palace of the
mortuary precinct
of Djoser, Saqqara,
Egypt, Third
Dynasty, ca.
2630–2611 bce.

The earliest known
stone columns are
in Djoser’s funerary
precinct. Those on
the North Palace
facade are engaged
(attached) to the
walls and have
shafts and capitals
resembling papyrus
stalks and
blossoms.

3-8Great Pyramids, Gizeh,

Egypt, Fourth Dynasty.From

bottom: Pyramids of Menkaure,

ca. 2490–2472 bce;Khafre,

ca. 2520–2494 bce;and Khufu,

ca. 2551–2528 bce.

The Great Pyramids of Gizeh

took the shape of the ben-ben,

the emblem of the sun, Re.

The sun’s rays were the ramp

the Egyptian pharaohs used

to ascend to the heavens after

their death and rebirth.

The Old Kingdom 59