History Memes

Incorrect.

Cleopatra lived from ~70BCE to ~30BCE.

The iPhone was released in September of 2007, slightly over 2037 years after her death.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, tomb of Khufu, was built ~2600BCE, making it some 2530 years old when Cleopatra was born. So the statement "Cleopatra was closer in time to the iPhone than the construction of the Great Pyramid" is correct. But, the Great Pyramid is the largest and heaviest, but not the oldest, of the ancient Egyptian pyramids. So, the same can be said for the dozen or so pyramids built before, to include the Bent and Red pyramids of Dahshur, the Meidum pyramid, and Djoser's stepped pyramid.

You've also got 500 years after the Great Pyramid as well, which covers the rest of the Giza necropolis (with the possible exception of the Sphinx), right on up to Pepi II with room to spare. There are some pyramids newer than ~2000BCE but they're smaller, not as well built, most are ruined.

What's wild is how short the pyramid construction craze was. Both pyramids ad Dahshur and the pyramid of Meidum, and their complexes, were built during the reign of Sneferu, partially simulteneously. Djedefre and Khafre were brothers, so they're pyramids were constructed either simultaneously or in very quick succession. The entire Giza necropolis including the two largest pyramids ever built was done start to finish in approximately 85 years. One human could have lived to watch the whole thing. The Great Pyramid itself was built in 20 years. And they did it with human muscle and copper chisels.

If we go to something like the discovery of electricity or the founding of the United States, we can say without qualifications that event was closer to Cleopatra's life than the construction of anything we would call an "Ancient Egyptian Pyramid."