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Like many "wonders" the Great Pyramids at Giza were tombs and memorials to the dead. Can't say I feel moved by the life of 2800 year old pharaohs, but two "alte
by nonrandomstring 4y ago
Like many "wonders" the Great Pyramids at Giza were tombs and
memorials to the dead. Can't say I feel moved by the life of 2800 year
old pharaohs, but two "alternatives" that do stir me are here:
Bayeux War Cemetery, Normandy, France
Vietnam War Memorial, Washington, DC, USA
- jl6 4y agoNot sure if maybe you were referring to something else, but the Great Pyramid of Giza is closer to 4500 years old. I personally think it’s wondrous that anything at all survives from so long ago, let alone something of such staggering geometry.
- deepdriver 4y agoAnd they were already ancient in what we now call ancient times. Cleopatra lived closer to the 1969 Moon landing than to the time of the construction of the Great Pyramid.
- DiggyJohnson 4y agoI think we need an "alternative fun facts" thread to replace these well-worn ones.
- deepdriver 4y agoHow about this one? The Ancient Babylonians had asphalt roads, as long ago as 600 BC and maybe earlier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt#Ancient_times https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asphalt#Ancient_times https://trid.trb.org/view/694262 https://trid.trb.org/view/694262
- mcphage 4y agoHomer Simpson's mother was named after Steve Job's sister.
- RC_ITR 4y ago> let alone something of such staggering geometry. That’s what is so cool about it. It’s more or less the shape of a naturally occurring mountain, which just so happens to be the shape most resistant to erosion. Primitive interior arch-work and interior passageways notwithstanding.
- epolanski 4y agoI'm still amazed that Cleopatra and Jules Ceasar are closer to Tik Tok release than the Great Pyramid of Giza building. It cannot be understated how little we know of our ancestors 2500 years ago, and how little remains we have, and the pyramids are even older.
- Ekaros 4y agoPointy pile of rocks is most stable structure. It is no wonder why it is so common around the world historically. And as they are rocks, they are rather sturdy against erosion.
- elihu 4y agoSupposedly they were originally encased in limestone blocks shaped to give a smooth outside surface, but those blocks have been hauled off over the years to make other things. So, a pile of rocks is only stable over long time periods in the presence of humans to the extent that the materials are economically worthless. Piles of dirt are also surprisingly stable. Around Stonehenge are mounds that are presumably 4 or 5 thousand years old.
- bluedevil2k 4y agoI’ll throw out one more curious pyramids fact: when they were built there were still mammoths roaming the Earth.
- 13of40 4y ago> Bayeux War Cemetery I visited France a month or two ago, the first time since COVID, and ended up staying in Verdun for a couple of days. The sheer scale of the cemeteries, forts, battlefields, etc. is sobering. (At the same time, the city itself is a bit of a hidden gem, with nice parks and a beautiful river full of fish.) One thing I noticed was the handful of American monuments and cemeteries in that area were immaculately taken care of, even though the people buried there would be great-grandfathers by now and there were very few visitors to appreciate it.