Of pyramids and igloos: a brief cultural perspective

Some 30 to 50 centuries ago, for a period of history covering more than 2 0 centuries, inhabitants of the Nile river valley devoted impressive levels of effor t to construct a number of burial crypts, generally known as pyramids. Little i s known about how long it took to build a pyramid, but the larger ones, at least , must have taken many years or even decades . To the best of our knowledge thes e edifices were almost strictly non-utilitarian, serving merely to fortify a few nobl e men and women for their journeys and adventures in the after-life . In retrospect , however, the pyramids played a much more important role for the posterity o f those nobles . Because they were constructed so carefully, so sturdily, and becaus e they entombed not only corpses but a wealth of cultural artifacts, a very significant part of the society and culture that produced them has been preserve d for us to study and understand .