Culture is one of the means that shape peoples’ outlook. Many places in the world are defined intricately by cultural habits that make them stand out to everyone. An excellent example of such essential cultural artifacts is the Great Pyramid at Giza. The pyramid is the greatest, oldest, and most complex artifact in Cairo, Egypt (Jennings, 2021). It is one of the seven wonders of the world. The pyramid is also known as the Pyramid of Khufu. It is believed that the pyramid was built for Pharaoh Khufu, who was the ruler of the fourth Egyptian dynasty (Jennings, 2021). It is estimated that the pyramid was built in the 26th century BC and took approximately 27 years to complete. It is a spectacle how such an ancient structure contains state-of-the-art architecture and details around it. The structure is believed to have been built by professionals who did not have advanced technology that is available now but managed to build a structure that has stood the test of time. This discourse will deeply analyze the Great Pyramid of Giza to explore the essential aspects of culture. Culture is a reflection of the fundamental beliefs and values of a community which are shown by the pyramids’ ability to stand out, be an intellectual discovery, a creative expression of human culture.
I first came across the Great Pyramid of Giza during one of my extensive course researches in the library. The elements of this pyramid that stood out to me the most were; the estimated 2.3 million blocks of bricks used to make it, the fact that it stands in a desert and has not been compromised by the desert climate conditions, the shape of the pyramid was also a unique feature (Jennings, 2021). The pyramid is an eight-sided figure with the base evenly split to the tip of the pyramid by concave indentations (Jennings, 2021). The pyramid complex is believed to have been made as a grave for dead pharaohs, popularly known as the Egyptian mummies. Egyptians maintained that the kings and queens needed to be comfortable in their life after death. This inspired them to build the pyramids as a luxurious afterlife residence where the kings would access all the comfort they desired (Jennings, 2021). They also buried them together with their belongings and servants so that they would not lack any luxury in the afterlife. The Building of the Giza pyramid is a great success.
Culture is a reflection of the fundamental beliefs and values of a community. It makes a vital point in determining how a specific community grows and reacts to different aspects of life and the environment. The Great Pyramid of Giza is a creative expression that shows how people respond to the situation around them (Jennings, 2021). Egyptians knew that death was inevitable even to their kings, whom they considered sacred. They believed that their kings should be respected and cared for even in death since they believed in the afterlife. This proves that culture impacts and motivates creativity among people. The Great Pyramid of Giza contributes to the continuation of the dialogue on the importance of cultures since it proves that culture can create a mark on people and give them a sense of belonging and identity. The people of Egypt identify themselves with this pyramid as it helps them define who they are and their roots.
The Great Pyramid of Giza has been a great intellectual discovery for me. It has helped me think critically as I researched deeper and analyzed the many aspects that define this pyramid. During my analysis and critical thinking, fundamental questions came up. Some of them include who specifically built the Great Pyramid of Giza? Who came up with the architectural design? How long did it take to design the pyramids? Where were the pharaohs buried before the pyramids? Why is the Giza pyramid so different from the other pyramids? The answers to these questions describe the extra information I would like to have concerning this pyramid. The intention of the creator of the pyramid of Giza was to preserve the dead Pharaohs while at the same time honoring their belief in the afterlife. This intention helps my interpretation of the Egyptian culture as I view them as culturally religious people and would do anything to safeguard and uphold their beliefs and values.
My values include determination, respect, adventure, success, understanding, and courage. Such values have significantly shaped my expression as I respect everyone’s culture and views. They also help me find out more about cultural artifacts as I courageously seek to investigate different cultures. This also adds to the reasons why I would study this topic. Firstly, it satisfies my need for knowledge and being a successful cultural anthropologist. For me to understand the questions I had about the pyramid of Giza, I would do a thorough study and an investigation on the subject. I would also consult my fellow anthropologists and inquire what they know concerning it. I would also participate in research involving visiting the area. However, I know I would find most information through visiting the place where the pyramid is located, visiting the Egyptian national history libraries, and contacting Egypt’s national archives resources for more information.
Human beings have the need to express themselves culturally as it is a way to demonstrate their emotions and way of life. It guides them on how to live and deal with both positive and negative experiences in life. The Great Pyramid of Giza brought about a tremendous cultural shift where the Egyptians started valuing the importance of preserving their kings. One of the concepts learned was postmodernism which says that no one can be objective with culture since we are all biased (Welsch, 2017). This explains my view on the culture and questions I ask as I seek precise answers. With reference to the postmodernism concept, I realized that most of the questions I had were motivated by bias that is a natural human characteristic.
Human creative expression impacts culture as it gives evidence for the culture of a particular place. For example, the Giza pyramid is evidence of the importance of human creative expression of culture. In addition to that, human creative expression of culture can impact issues we deal with today in ways such as nurturing people around us and giving them identity. Studying the Pyramids of Giza helps address the importance of safeguarding culture and encouraging creative expressions of it. This is because this will describe some particular culture years after the generation has passed. Culture is priceless and should be passed on. An encounter with one of my Egyptian counterparts reinforced my belief in the importance of culture.
References
Jennings, D. E. (2021). Specular reflection from the Great Pyramid at Giza. arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.02642.
Welsch, W. (2017). Postmodernism—posthumanism—evolutionary anthropology. Journal of Posthuman Studies, 1(1), 75–86. Web.