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Secondary sourceNewspaper article1883

The Pyramid of Cheops

1883

An 1883 scholarly article examining the Great Pyramid and the family tombs linked to King Khufu (Cheops).

This article studies the Great Pyramid and the family tombs connected to King Khufu.

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About this source

What it is

This is an article published in the North American Review in 1883, discussing the Great Pyramid of Giza and the nearby tombs belonging to the family and officials of King Khufu, also known as Cheops.

Why it matters

The article reflects 19th-century scholarly efforts to study Egypt's monuments and reconstruct the social world around Khufu, including his family and court. It shows how later historians used archaeological findings, such as those of the Egyptologist Lepsius, to interpret the pyramid's history.

Look closer

  • Why does the author compare the pyramids to ruins in Europe?
  • What kind of evidence does the article use to talk about Khufu's family?
  • How might our understanding of ancient Egypt have changed since this article was written?

This newspaper article is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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A large limestone pyramid with a smooth-edged stepped outer surface rises against a clear blue sky over pale desert sand. Small figures stand at the lower left, and rubble and low stone blocks lie at its base.Artifact

Primary source

Great Pyramid of Giza

c. 2560 BCE

Vintage postcard showing the Great Pyramid of Giza in grey tones against a pale sky, with a large dark tree in front, two palm trees at left, a camel and rider at lower left, and the caption 'La Grande Pyramide Cheops'. Handwriting and a stamp are on the right.Photograph

Secondary source

La Grande Pyramide Cheops

1903

A small ivory statuette of a seated figure wearing a tall royal crown, with hands resting on the lap, on a clear acrylic base set against a blue cloth. Dark encrusted patches mark the chest and arm.Sculpture

Primary source

Khufu Statuette

c. 2600–2494 BCE (possibly later, 664–525 BCE)

Sepia albumen photograph of the Giza pyramids of Cheops and Chephren, with the Sphinx and the Valley Temple ruins in the foreground, and robed men with camels standing to the right. Caption printed in white script along the bottom.Photograph

Secondary source

Pyramids of Cheops and Chephren and the Sphinx at Giza

The Khufu ship, a large ancient Egyptian wooden solar barque displayed in a museum gallery. Its long hull is supported by a criss-crossed framework of metal and wooden struts, and visitors stand along the walkways and balconies around it under a curved, illuminated ceiling.Artifact

Primary source

Khufu ship

Royal shipwrights of Khufu · c. 2566 BCE

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