How did they build the Great Pyramid of Giza? - Soraya Field Fiorio

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

As soon as Pharaoh Khufu ascended the throne circa 2575 BCE,

法老古夫在大約西元前 2575 年登上王位之後，

work on his eternal resting place began.

就開始建造他永久的長眠之地。

The structure’s architect, Hemiunu,

這座建築物的建築師海米烏努

determined he would need 20 years to finish the royal tomb.

認為他需要二十年才能 完成這座皇族墳墓。

But what he could not predict was that this monument would remain

但他沒預期到，

這個歷史遺跡保持了 世界最高人造建築物的記錄

the world’s tallest manmade structure for over 3,800 years.

至少三千八百年之久。

To construct the Great Pyramid,

為了建造這座金字塔，

Hemiunu would need to dig a 6-and-a-half-kilometer canal,

海米烏努必須要挖掘 一條六點五公里長的運河、

quarry enormous amounts of limestone and granite,

開採很大量的石灰岩和花崗岩，

and use kilometers of rope to pull stones into place.

並用數公里長的繩子 將這些岩石拉到規劃的位置。

Today, there are still vigorous debates about the exact methods

現今，大家仍然不斷爭辯

埃及人究竟採用了什麼方法。

the Egyptians employed.

But we do know that first Hemiunu needed a construction site.

但我們確實知道，首先， 海米烏努需要一塊建地。

The Egyptians spoke of death as going west like the setting sun,

埃及人對於死亡的說法， 是像夕陽一樣到西方去。

and the Nile’s west bank had a plateau of bedrock

而尼羅河西岸有一片岩床高地，

that could support the pyramid better than shifting sand.

對於金字塔的支撐力 比會移動的沙子更好。

In a brilliant timesaving move,

他們用上了一招很省時的高招，

masons carved the plateau itself to look like the stones

石匠直接雕刻高地本身，

讓它看起來像是金字塔 其他部份所用的岩石。

used for the rest of the pyramid.

With this level foundation in place, construction could begin.

這層基礎打好之後，

就能開始建造了。

The project called for a staggering 25,000 workers,

該建案用了兩萬五千名 工人，相當驚人，

but fortunately, Hemiunu had an established labor supply.

但，幸運的是，

海米烏努有既有的勞工供應來源。

Egyptians were required to perform manual labor for the government

埃及人全年都必須要 為政府做體力勞務，

throughout the year,

and citizens from across the country came to contribute.

來自全國各地的居民都來貢獻。

Workers performed a wide range of tasks,

工人要做各式各樣的工作任務，

from crafting tools and clothes to administrative work

從製作工具和衣物，

到行政工作，到費力的體力勞務。

to back-breaking manual labor.

But contrary to popular belief, these workers were not enslaved people.

但和一般人所相信的相反，

這些工人並非奴隸。

In fact, these citizens were housed and fed with rations

事實上，這些居民住的和吃的，

better than the average Egyptian could afford.

都比一般埃及人能負擔的更好。

To complete the project in 20 years,

若要在二十年內完成這個建案，

one block of stone would need to be quarried, transported,

每三分鐘就得把一塊岩石開採出來、

and pushed into place every 3 minutes,

運送到建地，並推入應放置的位置，

365 days a year.

且一年三百六十五天不停工。

Workers averaged 10-hour days, hauling limestone from two different quarries.

工人平均每天工作十小時，

到兩個不同的採石場搬運石灰岩。

One was close to the site,

一個採石場離建地很近，

but its fossil-lined yellow stone was deemed suitable

但開採出的黃色岩石有 化石痕跡，被認為只適合

only for the pyramid’s interior.

用在金字塔的內部。

Stones for the outside were hauled from roughly 13 kilometers away,

外部用的岩石要從大約 十三公里外的地方搬運過來，

using 9-meter long sleds made from giant cedar trunks.

搬運工具是巨形雪松樹幹 製成的九公尺長橇。

When mined from the ground,

從地下開採出來時，

limestone is soft and splits easily into straight lines.

石灰岩很軟，且很容易直線分開。

But after air exposure it hardens,

但暴露在空氣中之後，就會變硬，

requiring wooden mallets and copper chisels to shape.

要用木槌和銅鑿才能塑形。

The pyramid used over 2 million stones, each weighing up to 80 tons.

這座金字塔用了超過兩百萬塊岩石，

每塊的重量高達八十公噸。

And there was no room for error in how they were shaped.

且它們的形塑過程不容許任何錯誤。

Even the smallest inaccuracy at the bottom of the pyramid could result

就算只是金字塔底部 最微小的一點點不精確，

都可能造成頂部的嚴重問題。

in a catastrophic failure at the top.

Researchers know where the materials used to build the pyramids came from

研究者知道用來蓋 金字塔的材料來自何處，

and how they were transported,

以及搬運它們的方法，

but the actual construction process remains mysterious.

但實際的建造過程仍然是個謎。

Most experts agree that limestone ramps were used to move the stones into place,

大部分專家都認同，

他們是靠石灰岩斜坡 將岩石運到該放置的位置，

but there are many theories on the number of ramps and their locations.

但對於斜坡的數量和位置， 就有許多不同的理論。

And the pyramid’s exterior is just half the story.

且金字塔的外部還不是全部呢。

Since death could come for the pharaoh at any time,

因為法老隨時都有可能死亡，

Hemiunu always needed an accessible burial chamber at the ready,

海米烏努隨時都要準備好 一間可以用的墓室，

so three separate burial chambers were built during construction.

所以，在建造期間， 分別建了三間墓室。

The last of these, known as the King’s Chamber,

最後一間墓室，也就是 一般所知的「國王室」，

is a spacious granite room with a soaring ceiling,

是一間空間很大的 花崗岩室，屋頂相當高，

located at the heart of the pyramid.

位在金字塔的心臟位置。

it lay on top of an 8.5-meter high passageway called the Grand Gallery,

它座落在八點五公尺高的 「大走廊」頂端，

which may have been used as an ancient freight elevator

大走廊的用途有可能是 古時的貨物升降機，

to move granite up the pyramid’s interior.

將花崗岩運到金字塔的內部。

Granite was used for all the pyramid’s support beams.

金字塔的所有樑柱 都是用花崗岩做的。

Much stronger than limestone, but extremely difficult to shape,

花崗岩比石灰岩堅固許多， 但非常難塑形，

workers used dolerite rocks as hammers to slowly quarry the stone.

工人得用輝綠岩當作槌子， 慢慢開採出花崗岩。

To ensure the granite beams would be ready when he needed them,

為了確保在需要的時候 都有準備好的花崗岩樑柱，

Hemiunu dispatched 500 workers in the project’s first year

海米烏努在建案的第一年 派遣了五百名工人，

so that the material would be ready 12 years later.

讓建材能在十二年後準備好。

Five stories of granite sit atop the King’s Chamber,

國王室的上方有五層樓的花崗岩，

preventing the pyramid from collapsing in on itself.

預防金字塔本身向內部垮下來。

Once complete, the entire structure was encased with white limestone,

完成之後，再用白色石灰岩 包住整個建築物，

polished with sand and stone until it gleamed.

用沙子和石頭來磨光， 直到發光為止。

Finally, a capstone was placed on top.

最後，在頂端放置一塊頂石。

Covered with electrum and glimmering like gold,

用銀金礦包覆， 像金子一樣發出微光，

this peak shined like a second sun over all of Egypt.

金字塔的頂峰就如同 第二個太陽一般照耀全埃及。

This video was made possible with support from Marriott Hotels.

感謝萬豪酒店贊助本影片。

With over 590 hotels and resorts across the globe,

萬豪酒店在全球有超過 五百九十家旅館和渡假飯店，

Marriott Hotels celebrates the curiosity that propels us to travel.

頌揚驅策我們去旅行的好奇心。

Check out some of the exciting ways TED-Ed and Marriott are working together

來看看 TED-Ed 和萬豪酒店 讓人興奮的一些合作方式，

and book your next journey at Marriott Hotels.

並至萬豪酒店預訂 你的下次旅行行程。