The oldest- surviving pyramid-shaped structure date back to around 2600 BC, and ancient Egypt seems to have been littered with such edifices, with well over 100 uncovered by archaeologists to date. The pharaohs of Egypt were considered direct descendants of the gods, and indeed as Horus human form, and as such were given due pomp and ceremony in their death. Their bodies were embalmed in belief that this would reverse the decomposition process, and they would be buried inside the stone pyramids.
The shape of the structures offered steps up to the heavens, and were originally clad in brilliant polished limestone casing stones, giving them a bright white reflective shine that must have been phenomenal to behold. Their shape was said to mimic that of Ben-Ben, the original mound of the Egyptian universe, from which everything else was created.
In some pyramids, the bodies were buried below ground level with all manner of riches and , in the case of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the artefacts include an entire wooden bat stored in pieces alongside the dead.
