12. The Ancient Kushite Civilisation built more pyramids than the Egyptians
Did you know that there are pyramids outside Egypt and Las Vegas? The undisputed kings of the pyramid-building world, in number at least, were the Kush Empire. This civilisation arose after the fall of the 24th Dynasty of Egypt in c.1000 BC, and ruled much of the country until they were expelled by the Neo-Assyrian Empire. The Kushites eventually moved their capital to Meroë (modern Sudan) in their remaining territory. Though they had left Egypt, Egypt had not left them, for they set about building hundreds of pyramids around their new capital, 350 of which have been discovered to date.
These pyramids are grouped across five sites, and were built as funeral monuments to great people and rulers. Though they are smaller than their Egyptian forebears, the Nubian Pyramids, as they are commonly referred to, are testament to a mighty empire with copious wealth. In the 1st Century BC, Kush fought against Rome, and though the European nation was victorious, Kush was never conquered. The empire ended when its traditional industries of pottery and iron tools, dating back to Ancient Egypt, declined, and Christianity took hold of the region. Kush was formally dissolved in the 6th Century AD.