The ancient Egyptians believed that a fundamental concept should be follows through out life so that after death, when an Egyptians heart was weighted against the feather of Ma'at, a blissful life after death would follow. This concept "the concept of Ma'at "was the aim of each Egyptians life. The concept of Ma'at was aided by the construction of the pyramids in the time of the old kingdom, as they held immense significance and was an extremely important element of the Egyptian lifestyle. When considering the era in time when the pyramids were at their peek, a blind eye may be taken when first studying their historical value. However, they hold great information in both construction skills and methods and symbols of many religious beliefs.
The construction of pyramids was an incredibly ambitious project that required highly skilled work force of architects, engineers, and mathematicians. The construction of the pyramids continued over the period of 1000 years, starting from the third dynasty and ending in the second intermediate period. The generations who built these pyramids developed and honed the necessary skills in masonry and labor organization and later pyramid builders selectively utilized certain skills. The types of pyramids varied form from one region to another, due to different topographical conditions and other local and religious factors. How the Egyptians managed to construct massive structures using primitive tools, still remains a mystery. The Egyptians built their pyramids out of the most durable building materials, as even through the toil of the forces of nature and human destruction, the monumental architectural achievements are world noted and have become one of the classic seven wonders of the ancient world. Over the period of time when the pyramids were at their peek, many construction methods and skills were learnt and developed upon.
The characteristic tomb of the Early Dynastic Period and Old Kingdom was an under ground chamber with a large, rectangular, flat-topped structure of gray limestone and steep sloping sides (the substructure was generally contained the possessions of the deceased).