Mayan Pyramids Research Paper

When one thinks of pyramids, the dramatic stone structures standing regally over the desert sands of Giza, Egypt come to mind. The proud tributes to past pharaohs have captivated explorers for centuries and continue to attract tourists today. They are not, however, the only pyramids that have caught the attention of the public; in Central America lay the Mayan pyramids, step-pyramids built by a Mesoamerican civilization formed around 1500 BC. While both the pyramids of Egypt and the Mayan pyramids are similar in general structure, they are vastly different buildings with blatant cultural differences that are particularly evident in the physical appearance, purpose, construction, and the methods of construction used to build them.

Both the

Though the general structures between the two are alike, the way in which the two cultures formed their pyramids differed greatly. The Egyptians faced the precarious task of hauling 2.5 ton blocks of limestone from quarries as far as five hundred miles away. The limestone blocks were then hauled up a gradually inclining ramp to be placed in their position. The process took “an estimate of 4,000 skilled laborers at least 20 years” to complete, and “stones were hauled into place on sleds pulled by teams of at least 30 men” (Data Analysis 1.) The Mayan pyramids, in comparison, were built with much less labor within men, though it did not make the structures any less regal. These pyramids were formed using “stone blocks held together with a lime mortar. Some were covered with plaster and painted” (Mayan Pyramids 1). Regardless, both sets of pyramids were constructed with differing methods that have helped them withstand great amounts of time. Both the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids were built many thousands of years ago, but the pyramids of Giza have proved to hold together for a longer duration than the Mayan pyramids have. Weathering is very evident on the Mayan pyramids after they “were abandoned and completely swallowed up by the jungle” (Mayan Pyramids 2). Archeologists also