Explore answers by topic

Start with a question. Find a clear answer, a little context and a picture to help it click.

Explore the answers below, then follow your curiosity to another topic.

Discover the past

Why did ancient Egyptians build pyramids?

Many Egyptian pyramids were built as royal tombs, connected with beliefs about kingship and the afterlife.

They were part of larger complexes that could include temples and causeways. The pyramids at Giza were built during Egypt’s Old Kingdom, more than 4,000 years ago.

Educational illustration of the pyramids at Giza—not an archival photograph or primary source.

What was some of the earliest writing used for?

Many early surviving written records were used to keep track of goods, labor and transactions.

In Mesopotamia, early writing developed in the late fourth millennium BCE. Writing later recorded laws, stories, letters and religious texts. Writing systems also developed in other parts of the world.

How do historians find out what happened?

Historians examine evidence and compare sources to build explanations of the past.

Letters, official records, objects, buildings and oral accounts can all offer clues. Researchers consider when a source was made, who created it and why. New evidence can change an interpretation, and some questions remain uncertain.