I suspect that they quit building pyramids because of cultural changes. It may have been because of a change in the dynasty. I'm am a long way from being an expert on Egyptian history, but the periods of dynastic change were frequently turbulent. So later dynasties may have just had different stylistic preferences. After all in the clothing industry styles change yearly. So burial styles can certainly change on a dynastic scale.

Also between 1720 and 1710 bce Egypt was conquered by the Hyksos. They of course would have had completely different customs, so that may have been the reason. Some people think that the reason the Hyksos were successful was because they had chariots while the Egyptians didn't. That is pretty speculative.

And of course there may have been economic reasons. Building a pyramid has to be expensive. If they went through a period where they couldn't afford them that could have caused a change in fashion.

Then of course the basic idea of the pyramid was to preserve the body of the Pharaoh. It didn't work all that well. They were all looted. So they may have been going for more security by burying them in the Valley of the Kings. Of course that didn't work very well either.

Most of those are my undoubtedly garbled ideas. It may be the Hyksos invasion was the main change that drove the change from burial in pyramids.

Bill Gill


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