Previously, no such architectural feat had ever been dreamed of, let alone actually thought out and complete. The properties of stone, massiveness, strength, and durability, had not even be contemplated by masons and architects, yet under the guidance of Imhotep, the royal architect of the pharaoh Zoser, this magnificent structure was erected (David 14). It is of little wonder why the Greeks, when they listed the Seven Wonders of the World, placed the great Step Pyramid at the top.
By the fourth dynasty, the pharaohs were buried in true pyramids, that is, all sides were flat planes meeting at some certain point, and the angle of each corner was 52 degrees. The three built at Gizeh, for Cheops, Chephren, and Mycenrinus, were the peak of achievement of this field. The pyramids were of better architecture, more advanced design, and longer durability; however, by the fifth dynasty, the pyramids were significantly smaller and the construction was of a lower quality, the result of which can be seen today; the pyramids of the fifth dynasty are little more than mounds of rubble (David 14). The reason for the decline in the pyramids has to do with the shifting of power due to new religious attitudes.
The religion of the ancient Egyptians was rather complex. Creation was believed to have been made out of darkness and chaos. With the physical creation of earth, mankind, and gods came the abstract concepts of law, religion, ethics, and kingship. Those were to last for eternity, which solidifies the notion that ancient Egyptians were very conservative. They believed there was no change; the universe worked according to a certain pattern governed by principles laid down at the beginning of time. Ancient Egyptians took the seasons to mean life was a cylindrical process, and that there was life after death (David 81).
There were two distinct groups of gods: local and state, and household.
