Why are Egyptians ruins so well preserved?

Question

Why are Egyptians ruins so well preserved?

Answer 1

Well, they are and they are not.  What I mean is that the extremely hot/dry climate helps preserve anything...especially if they are under some protective surface.

On the other hand, there are two elements present that are destroying the ancient ruins. In ancient times the pyramids were almost as smooth as marble.  Wind and sand has blasted most of that away.

The second element is people.  Both thieves and simply being a tourist and touching some of the art work begins a slow but sure breakdown.

It is most unfortunate, but what we see today was once as beautiful and some of our major cities today.  Time takes its toll.

Answer 2

Heat and very little humidity.  While being sealed in a virtually air tight condition.

Answer 3

Because of the mummification process.

Answer 4

Because most of Egypt climate has been dry for the last couples of centuries. Also when under the Roman empire influence, they did not suffer a lot of wars that could have destroyed such monument. Also for the time, those buildings were so huge that they were not really any weapons big enough to damage them sufficiantly.

But the main reason is the lack of rain and thus erosion. Most of the erosion has been caused by winds, which are much less abrasive than water...

Answer 5

Many of the Egyptian sites are well preserved in comparsion to sites of the same time in other parts of the world because of the climate.  Egypt is dryer than say Ireland, so artifacts are not damaged as much by the elements.  As you mentioned in your question many of the sites are ruins, though.  They do have damage and deterioration, it is just in different forms than some other sites. In Ireland there is a site called Newgrange that dates from the same time as Egypt, though human remains were gone by the time of modern excavation due to tourists visiting the site since the mid 1600s, it was like the pyramids remarkably well preserved.  Each site gets preserved for different reasons.  Chance of nature, human intervention, material that is used.  Many of the Egyptian sites are preserved because of the climate and the fact that they have not been destroyed yet do to human activity at the site.  There are also many sites that are just as well preserved in other areas of the world, but they do not gain as much attention because treasure is not found, current religious/politics do not play into the matter, and because Egypt is considered by many to be one of the cradles of Western civilization so it is studied more.

Answer 6

they are not well preserved, they show exactly the kind of damage you would expect rock to sustain over several thousand years.

there seems to be little damage b/c there is no rain or frost, and also because pyramids were so crude to begin with.

Answer 7

There are only a few answers to this. One, the climate of Egypt is fairly dry. Two, most of the ruins we know of were made of stone and masterfully fitted to fit each other.  Due to encroaching urbanization of Cairo, which used to be far away from the pyramids for example, smog and what not are slowly eroding the ruins.  And, as someone noted above, many of the ruins were covered in sand for many, many years.

Oh.....and Napoleons' forces blew off the nose of the Sphinx....I dont think that is related to your question, but it demonstrates how man really can mess stuff up.

Answer 8

Most basically from the lack of moisture and thermal consistency in their environment. Some elements of Egyptian architecture were made with granite, which is very durable. Most were, however, made with sandstone which would have worn away centuries ago if not for the climate there. They aren't as well preserved as you might think though. Most people don't realize that they were painted quite vibrantly. The color very rarely survives.

To the user who claimed that Mexico contains equally old  monumental architecture... no, it doesn't. Not even close. Most large-scale architecture in central and southern America was built post 1,000 AD, a solid 3,500 or more years after the pyramids at Giza.

Answer 9

they are made out of stone..they are covered with sand or they are in an arid climate..water damage is at a minimum..

they were made to last forever...There are ruins in Mexico and all over the world that have lasted as long as the Egyptians..stonehedge and the Easter Islands?

Answer 10

They tend to be made out of rock! or treated materials eg mummies. also Egypt is dry and this tend to act as a further preservative.

Answer 11

partly because they got covered with sand and thus protected from erosion.

Partly because they have been restored.

Partly because they were made of rock.

Answer 12

Has a lot to do with a hot, dry, arid climate.