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Matthew hales
Art History
7/17/12
Compare and contrast
In the history of architectural art, have you ever wondered about
the differences and similarities between The Pyramids of Giza and
Stonehenge?
These monuments were both built around the same era and
have three phases or parts. In addition both have deep funerary
importance and religious ceremonies involved within their structures.
The stars and the four cardinal directions had to do with how and why
they were laid out the way they were. Their differences being the
materials used to build the monument as well as the style of
architecture.
The Pyramids of Giza dates back to 2551 bce. Khufu’s pyramid is
the oldest and largest of the three.
and was completed in 2528 bce.
It is thirteen acres at its base
The outside was finished with
limestone, which was polished to a mirror shine to reflect the sun’s
rays.
After all these years it is the most intact, even after the
limestone being stolen in the 15th century by the Turkish people.
Inside the pyramid was the sarcophagus of Khufu that is made out of a
solid block of granite, cut out for his body.
Khafre’s pyramid was built in 2520 bce and was completed in 2494
bce. Khafre’s pyramid is just a bit smaller than Khufu’s but still
covers eleven acres.
This pyramid was also made of limestone and
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still has some of the veneer facing at the top.
Khafre’s burial
chamber is under ground with a 25 degree angled shaft, which is 50
feet long for an entrance.
The room angles are the same as the
outside of the pyramid. Behind the pyramid is the great Sphinx, which
today is one of the most recognizable monuments.
Menkaure’s pyramid was built in 2490 bce and was completed in
2472 bce.
It is the smallest of the three at Giza.
The outside like
the last two is made of polished limestone but one big difference is
the first 15 meters are pink granite.
It also seems that during the
construction of his pyramid, Menkaure change the plans to make it
bigger.
The entrance, like the others, is on the northern side and
the four corners point to the four cardinal directions and were built
in the fourth dynasty.
The work for Stonehenge 1 was started about 2900 bce by the
Neolithic native people of England.
They started work by digging a
ditch in a circle; the circle in total was 20 feet deep about 320 feet
in diameter. They then dug deep holes in the bottom of the circle.
The holes which were later, named ‘Aubrey holes’ after the man who
found them; in all there were 56 Aubrey holes.
The people then placed
two sets of two parallel stones in holes across the circle from each
other.
The people then filled the circle in with small chalky rocks.
Scholars figure that Stonehenge 1 was used for about 500 years and
then was somewhat abandoned.
Scholars estimate the work for Stonehenge 2 began around 2100
bce.
This part of construction was a semicircle made of granite
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stones.
These stones had a very important significance to Neolithic
people; scholars believe this because these stones are native to their
original homeland.
The stones were actually blue in color and had
been quarried over 250 miles away in Wales.
were native to that area and had migrated.
these blue stones.
Scholars think the people
In all there were 80 of
The entrance to the semicircle was a post and
lintel bluestone formation and is aligned with the midsummer sunrise.
The work for Stonehenge 3 was started around 2100 bce.
Neolithic people built the circle that we see today.
The
By using the
post and lintel method of building, the people placed to sarsen stones
up right and then placed another stone across the top.
17 of these
stones still stand today, but there were once 30 stones.
The stones
weigh 50 tons each and are 7 feet tall; they were cut about 20 miles
north of the Stonehenge site.
Also 20 of the bluestones from
Stonehenge 2 were stated to be moved to the inside of the sarsen
semicircle, they were placed in a semicircle as well, but the
construction was never complete.
The funerary rituals done at Stonehenge and the pyramid were
different in the sense Stonehenge was not built for someone to be
buried in where as the pyramids of Giza were built as tombs.
At
Stonehenge the religious rituals were done in the temple or circle of
Stonehenge then the body were transported to another site and buried.
For the Egyptians they had a big ceremony for the king, then took the
mummified body to the burial chamber and sealed it off.
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There is good evidence that the stars played a big role in how
both Stonehenge and the pyramids of Giza were built and laid out.
The
front and back entrance of Stonehenge are aligned with the sun in the
summer solicits.
The four corners of all the pyramids point to all
the cardinal directions.
They used the sun, moon, and the stars to
guide and aid them in construction, or at least the layout.
The stones were cut somewhere else and then move to the location.
Both at Giza and Stonehenge many of the stones were cut long distances
away and moved to the site.
Some stones for the pyramids were brought
from the city of Aswan, which is 625 miles away.
The bluestones used
at Stonehenge were brought over 250 miles to Stonehenge.
The Neolithic people of Stonehenge did not polish the stones at
Stonehenge, but the Egyptians did.
They polished the limestone to the
point it was like glass and reflective.
archeologists’ found grave goods.
In the graves at Stonehenge
In one grave they thought to be a
chief they found a stone headed mace and two daggers, also a gold
medallion and breast plate.
When you compare that to grave goods at
Giza, Giza is a literal goldmine.
All three pyramids were filled with
everyday items like: pots, dishes, plates, cups, swords, knives, which
were all made out of gold and other costly metals.
One of the largest differences between the pyramids and
Stonehenge is the purpose in which they were built. The pyramids were
built as a resting place, somewhere that someone was laid to rest and
that everything was kept so they would have it in the next life. Where
Stonehenge is still unknown; although we think it could have been for
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a combination to rituals such as seasonal festivals in observance of
the sun and maybe the moon.
Some think the ceremonies may symbolize
life, death or the afterlife and because it took so many years to
complete it could have been a combination of all things just at
different times.
When it comes to precious art the pyramids have much more art
involved such as hieroglyphics, mass amounts of gold and jewels,
slaves to help in the afterlife in tombs that were painted and
decorated as well as anything you’d need to live the same life here
and in the
afterlife.
Where at Stonehenge they only found a few
items they guess to be on one of the chief’s including, a mace with a
stone head and bone decoration on a wooden staff. A gold breastplate
and a small diamond shaped gold piece that was attached to the man’s
robe.
The barrow also contained two daggers, the smaller of the two
there had thousands of tiny gold pins
In conclusion we have seen the similarities and differences
between Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza; as far as the
architecture and uses.
They used some of the same techniques and
ideas to layout the monuments, also the size and detail vary between
the two. As we know it today what was found at Stonehenge was not as
complex as what was found in Giza.
It is very interesting to see what
two different groups that lived in different places at the same time
were building or making and how they expanded their ideas.
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Works Cited
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Balfour, Michael David. Stonehenge and Its Mysteries. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1980. Print.
Romer, John. The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2007.
Print.
Stokstad, and Cothren. Art History, Books a La Carte Edition. N.p.: Pearson College Div, 2010.
Print.