The Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacan, is one example of an enormous step pyramid. Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the Pre-Columbian Americas

The construction of step pyramids has been an ancient part of several cultures throughout history. These pyramids typically are large and made of several layers, or steps, of stone. A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point The term refers to pyramids of similar design that emerged separately from one another, as there was no connection between the different civilizations that built them.

Mesopotamia and Persia

See Ziggurat

Ancient Egypt

Djoser's pyramid at Saqqara

The earliest Egyptian pyramids were step pyramids. A ziggurat ( Akkadian ziqqurrat, D-stem of zaqāru "to build on a raised area" was a Temple tower of the ancient Mesopotamian Saqqara or Sakkara, Saqqarah ( Arabic: سقارة is a vast ancient burial ground in Egypt, featuring the world's oldest standing Step The Egyptian pyramids are pyramid shaped structures located in Egypt, and were built as a tomb for dead pharaohs During the Third Dynasty of Ancient Egypt (27th century BC), the architect Imhotep built Egypt's first step pyramid, the Pyramid of Djoser, by building a series of six successively smaller mastabas (an earlier form of tomb structure), one atop of another. Third Dynasty The Third Dynasty of Ancient Egypt is the first dynasty of the Old Kingdom. Ancient Egypt was an Ancient Civilization in eastern North Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now The 27th century BC is a Century which lasted from the year 2700 BC to 2601 BC Imhotep (sometimes spelled Immutef, Im-hotep, or Ii-em-Hotep, circa ( fl The Pyramid of Djoser(Zoser, or step pyramid ( kbhw-ntrw in Egyptian) is an archeological remain in the Saqqara necropolis Egypt A mastaba was a flat-roofed rectangular building with outward sloping sides that marked the burial site of many eminent Egyptians of Egypt's ancient period. Later pharaohs, including Sekhemkhet and Khaba, built similar structures. Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods Sekhemkhet was a Pharaoh in Egypt during the Third dynasty. According to the Manethonian tradition a king known as Tyris (which may be Khaba was a Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt 's Old Kingdom and is generally considered to have reigned near the end of the Third Dynasty. The first step pyramid was built for Djoser (or Zoser). Netjerikhet or Djoser ( Turin King List "Dsr-it" Manetho "Tosarthros" is the best-known Pharaoh of the Third dynasty

But, by the time of the Fourth Dynasty, plans had changed into the transformation of the "true pyramid". The fourth dynasty of Ancient Egypt is characterized as a Golden age of the Old Kingdom. The earliest smooth-sided pyramid, located at Meidum, started out as a step pyramid under Huni structure. Located about 100km south of modern Cairo, Meidum or Maidum (ميدوم is the location of a large Pyramid, and several large mud-brick Mastabas Huni was the last Pharaoh of Egypt of the Third dynasty. He established a fortress on the island of Elephantine, securing the southern border Sneferu's own later monuments, the Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid at Dahshur, were the first true pyramids to be built as such from scratch, and it was with this innovation that the age of Egyptian stepped pyramids came to an end. Sneferu, also spelled as Snefru or Snofru (in Greek known as Soris) was the founder of the Fourth dynasty of Egypt, reigning The Bent Pyramid, located at the royal Necropolis of Dahshur, approximately 40 kilometres south of Cairo, of Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu This article is about the pyramid For the Silent Hill monster see Pyramid Head.

Pre-Columbian Steps

The most prolific builders of these step pyramids were the Pre-Columbian civilizations. The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences The remains of step pyramids can be found throughout the Mayan cities of the Yucatán, as well as in Aztec, Toltec, and Inca architecture. The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political Toltec-style Vessel 1jpg|thumb|250px|right|A rather expressive orange-ware clay vessel in the Toltec style The Inca Empire (or Inka Empire) was the largest empire in Pre-Columbian America. In many of these cases, successive layers of pyramids were built on top of the pre-existing structures, with which the pyramids expanded in size on a cyclical basis. This is true of the Great Pyramid of Cholula and of the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan. The Great Pyramid of Cholula or Tlachihualtepetl ( Nahuatl for "artificial mountain" is a huge complex located in Cholula, Puebla, The Templo Mayor (commonly known by this Spanish name meaning " Great Temple " was the main temple of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan

See also

• Ziggurat
• Egyptian pyramids
• Mesoamerican pyramids
• Pyramids of Güímar

References