The construction of Egypt’s iconic pyramids has mystified scholars for centuries. The Great Pyramid of Giza, the tallest and most massive, originally stood at 147 metres and was built with around 2.3 million stone blocks, each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tonnes. The logistics of transporting and lifting these immense stones using ancient technology have long been debated.
Recent research is shedding new light on this ancient mystery. The prevailing theory suggests ramps were used, but their steepness has been questioned. In 2018, Dr Roland Enmarch from the University of Liverpool discovered a steep ramp at a quarry in Hatnub, implying workers may have used similar ramps to haul stones up the pyramid’s sides. This challenges previous assumptions that ramps could not exceed a 10% incline.
Frank Müller-Römer, a German archaeologist, proposes that several ramps were built on all four sides of the pyramid, allowing for quicker construction within the average 20-year reign of a pharaoh. Other hypotheses include internal spiral ramps and even a hydraulic lift system, though the latter has been met with scepticism due to lack of supporting evidence and the technological limitations of the time.
Modern technology is also playing a role in uncovering new insights. The ScanPyramids project has used muon imaging to detect a large hidden cavity above the Grand Gallery within the Great Pyramid, possibly built to redistribute weight. Meanwhile, satellite radar imaging led by Dr Eman Ghoneim has revealed a 64km-long ancient branch of the Nile, suggesting it was used to transport materials to the construction site. This discovery supports the idea that water routes played a key role in pyramid logistics.
Additionally, fragments of ancient logbooks found near the Red Sea by Professor Pierre Tallet provide firsthand accounts of the pyramid construction process. These documents detail the activities of workers, including transportation of materials, and confirm that the pyramids were remarkable human engineering feats—not the work of aliens or supernatural forces.
According to Enmarch, these findings underscore the scale and organisation of the pyramid projects, involving thousands of workers and sophisticated planning. Ongoing excavations of workers’ settlements near Giza continue to offer valuable clues, promising further revelations about one of history’s greatest architectural achievements.
