The construction of the pyramids put thousands of Egyptians to sweat, required advanced knowledge of mathematics and many stones. Of the hundred known pyramids in Egypt, the largest (and most famous) is that of Cheops, the only one of the seven ancient wonders that resists time. Dating back to 2550 BC, it was the icing on the cake for a generation of pharaohs with architectural aspirations. Khufu (or Cheops, his name in Greek), who commissioned the great pyramid, was the son of Snephru, who had already made his little pyramid. Knowledge passed from generation to generation, and Chephren, son of Cheops, and Mycerinus, the grandson, completed the trio of the pyramids of Giza. To put the monuments up, which were nothing more than luxurious tombs for the pharaohs, it is estimated that 30,000 Egyptians worked for 20 years. “These workers were changed every three months. Most worked cutting and transporting the blocks,” says Antonio Brancaglion Jr., an Egyptologist at the National Museum of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). In addition to the hard-working people, there were architects, doctors, bakers and brewers. Everything indicates that these guys were free (and not slaves), paid with beer and food. But there are controversies. Some bet on 100,000 workers, in addition to theses that attribute the work to ETs!
The stones were the beginning of it all – each block weighed an average of 2.5 tons, but this varied: the size decreased with height, and in specific places, such as the king’s chamber, there were giant stones, estimated at up to 80 tons. After being cut in the quarries, the blocks were sanded and catalogued: the name of the pharaoh and the group of responsible workers were written. In total, 2.3 million blocks would have been used in the construction of the Cheops pyramid.
IT’S QUARRY!
To build the pyramids, the ground was flattened. In addition to leaving the land ready for work, the process yielded a natural source of raw material: the plateau was rich in limestone, a softer type of stone, extracted with copper tools. Finer limestone rocks, used to shine the pyramid, came from the region near Tura
I’M GOING BY BOAT
Pharaoh chose granite to decorate the king’s chamber, where he was buried. As the stone was not found in the region, the blocks came from up to 800 kilometers away, from the quarry in Aswan, in boats on the Nile River. The very heavy blocks, some weighing up to 80 tons, also lined the chambers and internal corridors.
CONCRETE BASE
For some researchers, the analysis of the rate of minerals present in parts of the pyramid’s blocks shows that a type of primitive concrete may have been used both on the outside and on the inside. If the theory is true, this would have been the first known application of concrete – before that, the pioneers were the Romans.
The feat of transporting the giant blocks is so complex that even today there is no consensus. This may have been done with ropes; with a kind of sled made of cylindrical wooden logs, on which the stones would slide; or with the help of tafla, a type of clay that, when wet, becomes slippery and helps the blocks slide. After laying, the blocks were cut at a 51º angle, which left the face of the pyramid smooth.
CLIMBING THE SLOPE
What it is – A ramp made of dirt and gravel, with struts on the sides
Positive points – As it would occupy only one of the faces, this ramp would leave the sides of the pyramid free – thus, it would be easier to check if the work was “crooked”
Negative points – In order for the ramp to reach its full height, it would have to be sooo long, and work would have to be stopped every time it was necessary to extend it
ZIGZAG
What it is – Unique switchback ramp built around the pyramid. It’s the most popular theory right now.
Positives – The ramp would have a constant slope, unlike the single ramp
Negative points – The ramp blocks the view of the entire work. Thus, there would be a risk of, when dismantling the ramp, realizing that the faces of the pyramid were crooked.
UNDER THE SNAILS
What it is – Up to 43 meters in height, the external ramp is used. From there, an internal spiral ramp would be used, set back 15 meters from the external face. At the end of each floor, an edge allows the stones to rotate 90º
Positive points – I would reuse the material from the external ramp for the rest of the building. A counterweight system would carry the larger stones
Negatives – As the line is not straight, the ramp would increase the distance the blocks would have to be dragged
STICK IN THE MACHINE
What it is – Several theories suggest that machines were used to lift the pyramid blocks above. These machines could be cranes, levers or a seesaw system, with a sand basket on one side and the block on the other.
Positive points – The machines would relieve the hardship of manual labor
Negative points – There would be a lack of room to maneuver, and the machines would not handle the larger blocks
SIZE IS DOCUMENT
Compared to buildings and football fields, the pyramid wins
HEIGHT – 147 meters
Equivalent to – 49-story building – the Copan, for example, is 140 meters
WEIGHT OF 1 BLOCK – 2.5 tons
Equivalent to – 3 VW Beetles weighing 800 kg
TOTAL WEIGHT – 6.5 million tons
Equivalent to – 11.5 cargo ships loaded
AREA – 13 acres (52 598 m2)
Equivalent to – 6 football fields
Read too:
– Did the plagues of Egypt really exist?
– How did the Sphinx of Giza lose its nose?
– What was the life of a pharaoh like?