There’s a lot of Egyptian graffiti, too. People left comments praising King Djoser and his architect Imhotep (calling the latter “He Who Opened Up the Stone;” i.e. he built the Step Pyramid and its massive complex - Egypt’s earliest pyramid & colossal stone buildings), ferinstance.
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It’s insane to think about that we know the person who invented the concept of the pyramids. And that we even use him as a bad guy in movies.
(Yes, there were smaller pyramid shaped graves before, notably on the Upper Nile, and yes pyramids were independently developed elsewhere as well)
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It really is a trip!
Some tombs which preceded the Step Pyramid contain characteristics and elements which Imhotep obviously used to develop his idea. Sadly, we don’t have the name of King Sneferu’s architect, who designed the first “true” Egyptian pyramids.
Imhotep (fl. c. 2625 BCE) was even deified much later, a rarity in Egypt, and was also renowned as a physician. Were there more justice in the world, our doctors would take Imhotepic oaths!*
Wikipedja sayeth:
“Very little is known of Imhotep as a historical figure, but in the 3,000 years following his death, he was gradually glorified and deified.” And “Gardiner finds the cult of Imhotep during the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1077 BCE) sufficiently distinct from the usual offerings made to other commoners that the epithet ‘demigod’ is likely justified to describe his veneration.”
*King Djer (fl. c. 3000 BCE), the third king of Egypt’s First Dynasty was also renowned as a physician, and wrote the earliest known medical text. It begins with injuries and diseases of the head, and works its way down the body. This system is still used today in anatomical and medical works.
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Don’t be put off by the titles.
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