The Seven Wonders of the Ancient (and Modern) Worlds

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the details and histories of the ancient world. I was interested in not only the prospects of the societies that melted into the sands of history, but the artifices they built that no longer exist today. What wonders of today might no longer exist 3000 years from now. What monstrous edifices to ourselves will fade away in time to be dug up and discovered by our descendents in three millennia? But since, I'm such a nerd still want to take a look back at those original seven wonders of ancient times and what they meant for their societies in the time they were built.

The original list of seven was crafted out of a very small, specific area born of the guide books for Helenic tourists. Thus they only include the works of the classic civilizations of the Mediterranean rim. Works like the Great Wall and Aztec Pyramids aren't included; such is one of the many casualties of a centric society. Still, I'm a product of classical curiosities though and find the wonders of that Helenic Ancient world intriguing for its concision as well as its antiquity.

1. Great Pyramid of Giza - 2560 BC - The largest of the many pyramids of Egypt, The Great Pyramid was built in what was probably 20 years as a tomb for Khufu (of course that's always up for debate). Ironically, as the first of the ancient wonders (by nearly 2000 years) it's also the only one still standing. The theories of how it was built are numerous, not excluding the use of massive amounts of slaves housed in a town outside Giza, solely for the workers. The bricks were likely carted up ramps and the pyramid built in layers. The technology used to lift the 7-ton blocks is still under debate, as well as the exact completion date, and the entombed king for which it was created. But, the fact that it still stands is a testament all by itself.