After Djoser, later 3rd Dynasty kings began step pyramids too. The real leap came with Sneferu, first king of the 4th Dynasty (c. 2613–2589 BC). He built more stone than any other Egyptian king, and his builders learned, by trial and error, how to make a true pyramid with smooth, straight sides.
Key idea
Sneferu built pyramids at Meidum and Dahshur: the Bent Pyramid, whose angle changes partway up, and the Red Pyramid, the first finished true pyramid. His son Khufu (c. 2589–2566 BC) built the Great Pyramid at Giza, and Khufu's successors Khafre and Menkaure built the other two Giza pyramids.
Learning from mistakes
| Pyramid | King | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| Meidum | finished under Sneferu | begun as a step pyramid and turned into a true pyramid; its outer casing later collapsed |
| Bent Pyramid (Dahshur) | Sneferu | begun at a steep angle of about 54°; partway up the angle was reduced to about 43° |
| Red Pyramid (Dahshur) | Sneferu | built at about 43° from the start; the first finished true pyramid |
| Great Pyramid (Giza) | Khufu | about 146.6 m high when new, base about 230 m, about 2.3 million blocks |
Why it works
A steeper pyramid puts more weight on the ground and on the rooms inside. At the Bent Pyramid, cracks and settling appeared, so the builders lowered the angle to reduce the load. For the Red Pyramid they used the gentler angle throughout. By Khufu's time they could build at about 52° on a carefully leveled platform of bedrock.
Worked example: Which came first?
Put these in order: the Great Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid, the Step Pyramid.
- The Step Pyramid belongs to Djoser, 3rd Dynasty.
- The Bent Pyramid belongs to Sneferu, first king of the 4th Dynasty.
- The Great Pyramid belongs to Khufu, Sneferu's son.
Answer: Step Pyramid, Bent Pyramid, Great Pyramid.
The Great Pyramid was the tallest building in the world for almost 3,800 years. Inside are the Grand Gallery and the King's Chamber, lined with granite brought from Aswan, more than 800 km upriver.
Common mistake
Calling the Great Pyramid the first pyramid. Djoser's step pyramid came about a century earlier, and Sneferu built three pyramids before his son's. The Great Pyramid is the high point of a learning process, not its start.