Pyramids of Egypt and Mexico: Cultural Diffusion or Parallel Development PDF

!"#$%&'()*+),-"./)$0')123&4*5)678/7#$8)9&++7(&*0)*#)!$#$8828)92:28*.%20/;) A great historical mystery is the construction of similar pyramids along the Nile River in Ancient Egypt and on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico by pre-Columbian Mayans. Is this an example of a connection between...

!"#$%&'()*+),-"./)$0')123&4*5)678/7#$8)9&++7(&*0)*#)!$#$8828)92:28*.%20/;) A great historical mystery is the construction of similar pyramids along the Nile River in Ancient Egypt and on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico by pre-Columbian Mayans. Is this an example of a connection between these civilizations separated by the Atlantic Ocean (cultural diffusion) or of an independent architectural discovery (parallel development) on different continents? Examine the pictures and decide what you think (Photos of the Parthenon, Temple of Zeus and the Canadian Rockies by Alan Singer). Nile River Valley, Egypt Chichenitza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico How are the Egyptian and Mayan pyramids similar and different? Athens, Greece - Parthenon Temple of Zeus, Olympia Temples such as the Parthenon in Athens could not be built as high as pyramids. They were not stable. The weight of the cross pieces was very heavy and the pillars that supported them could topple. Cahokia National Monument, Illinois Canadian Rockies Pyramids may have been built like these mounds along the Mississippi River as protection against seasonal flooding. Another explanation is that people designed pyramids to resemble mountain peaks.