Pyramid Schemes

Meroë, Sudan

Hold up, wait a minute ~ Egypt isn't the pyramid capital of the world? Apparently not. from wisegeek.com:

There are 110 more pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt, even though Egypt is often more associated with pyramids because the ones there are more elaborate. The Kush Pyramids, located in the African country of Sudan, which was once known as the Kingdom of Kush, consist of 223 pyramids built around the 4th century B.C. by Nubian kings. These pyramids were generally used for both burial purposes and as monuments, unlike the Egyptian pyramids that were thought to be mainly tombs. The Kush Pyramids do not appear to be as tall or as elaborate as the pyramids of Egypt because much of their chambers are located underground.

More about pyramids:

• Many of the tops of the Kush Pyramids in Sudan were damaged when an Italian explorer in the 1800s smashed [them] during a search for treasure.


• The Pyramid of Khufu at Egypt’s Giza Pyramids weighs about the same as 16 Empire State Buildings.


• When 16th century Spanish explorers viewed the Chavin Temple Complex built in 200 B.C. in Peru, they thought the pyramids were a sign that it had been a civilization of giants.

   So, the story seems to be that the Nubians invaded Egypt around 730 BCE and got the idea for the pyramids from them: http://www.archaeology.org/issues/95-1307/features/940-sedeinga-necropolis-sudan-meroe-nubia