In ancient Egypt during the Old Kingdom, pyramids were built as tombs for pharaohs. The first pyramid, the Step Pyramid, was constructed around 5,000 years ago. Pyramids were huge structures with interior rooms and courtyards that took many years to build. Cities grew around pyramids under construction to house workers and their families who were paid with food and clothing from the pharaoh. After completion, pyramids required guards and traps to protect the large tombs from thieves attracted by the wealth inside, though many tombs were still successfully robbed.

2. In ancient Egypt, pyramids were built during
the time of the Old Kingdom. The first
pyramid was the Step Pyramid. It was built
about 5,000 years ago! You could see it for
miles!

3. Pyramids were huge. They had rooms inside
like store rooms, bedrooms, and even inside
courtyards. Pyramids took many years to
build. Cities grew up around the base of a
pyramid that was under construction. These
cities were called pyramid cities. Pharaoh
provided food and clothing for the workers
and their families. This is how the workers
were paid.

4. After the pyramid was built, the pyramid city
continued to flourish. The workers might be
gone, but in their place were guards. A
pyramid had to be guarded. Since pyramids
were huge, there was no hiding them.
Everybody knew that a pyramid held great
wealth. This tempted many robbers. So the
expense of a pyramid was not only in
construction costs, it continued after the
pyramid was built.

5. To discourage theft, the punishment for
robbing a tomb was severe. Traps and secret
passages were built inside a pyramid to catch
robbers. The pyramid was guarded. Just the
same, robbers could not seem to resist the lure
of the great wealth inside. Many tombs were
successfully robbed.

6. After the time of the Old Kingdom, pyramids
fell out of style. They cost a lot of time and
money, and made it far too easy for robbers to
know exactly where great wealth was buried.