The ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. The pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom.
The workmen would use a number of different tools to cut the blocks, including copperpickaxes and chisels, granite hammers, dolerite and other hard stone tools. The finer, white limestone employed in the pyramids and mortuary temples was not as easy to quarry, and had to be found further from the building site.
The mummies of pharaohs and their families were placed inside a sarcophagus and then buried inside the pyramids. Within each pyramid, often toward the center of the structure, was a king's chamber. Queen's chambers were also included in many pyramids.