This period saw a substantial increase in the size of megaliths, leading to the construction of pyramids with spectacular dimensions, such as those on the Meidum, Dahshur, and Giza plateaus.

Patriarch’s PyramidSnefru, Khufu’s father, built several failed pyramids, such as this one in Meidum, before managing to construct one with smooth sides at Dahshur, near Memphis. Photograph by C.