A Not So Out of This World Explanation of How the Egyptian Pyramids Were Built

Figure 1: The Great Pyramids of Giza (background) and their predecessors, step pyramids (foreground)

 
Today's blog post is dedicated to exposing the truth behind one of the great archaeological mysteries: how the Egyptian pyramids were built.  Spoiler alert: it was not aliens.  These great wonders were actually the inception of one creative pharaoh and created through the genius of architects and engineers in cooperation with very well fed Egyptian laborers.  No longer a mystery let's address the history and creation of these Egyptian pyramids (Figure 1).

The Egyptian pyramids are unique architectural features in their shape but not their existence.  Several societies and cultures around the world created great monuments, and some even built pyramids, albeit step pyramids (Figure 2).  Egyptian pyramids are four sided, smooth faced pyramids that were constructed in order to pay homage to the great sun god, Ra. The pyramid design was meant to emulate the sun's rays, making these buildings the perfect resting places for the pharaohs as they, gods reborn of human flesh, were to return to Ra upon death.  Pyramids were built on the west side of the Nile to meet with the setting sun in accordance with Egyptian ideology about the afterlife.

Figure 2: Jaguar Pyramid at Tikal, an ancient Maya site in Mesoamerica

The first Egyptian Pharaohs' tombs were not actually pyramids.  They were actually mastabas (Figure 3), which were large stone structures with flat roofs (resembling a bench) built over the burial of a pharaoh.  Each subsequent mastaba creation got larger and larger (to demonstrate the power of the dead pharaoh), but then Pharaoh Djoser decided to outdo his predecessors by combining six mastabas into one, thereby creating the first Egyptian (step-)pyramid (as seen in the foreground of Figure 1).  This idea was built upon by Pharaoh Snefru in 2575 BC.  He envisioned a smooth faced pyramid and commissioned his architect, Imohtep, to build it.  Unfortunately, Imohtep did not get the first smooth face pyramid correct and instead built a slightly bent pyramid that angles sharply midway up (Figure 4).  He got it right with the second one, the Red Pyramid (named after the color of its stones), which was a perfectly angled pyramid.  Imohtep's ideas were improved on by Snefru's son, Khufu, who commissioned and oversaw the construction of the largest of the three pyramids at Giza.

Figure 3: Mastaba

We know that after this a series of pyramids were built. They were constructed out of a series of locally quarried limestone (for the inner structure) as well as limestone from as far away as five days boat ride (for the outer structure).  The blocks of limestone weighed anywhere from 2.5 to 15 tons and several thousand were used to build each pyramid.  The tops of the pyramids were constructed out of basalt or granite, a much heavier stone, and covered with gold or silver to allow their points to gleam.  This construction would have required a great deal of thought and creativity, and the Egyptians were able to do this with very simple tools and without the wheel (as they did not have it yet!).


For years archaeologists and scholars were stumped as to the exact mechanisms and means used to create the pyramids (which is part of the reason why the alien conspiracy theories exist), but through the discovery of a papyrus with pyramid construction plans and instructions, the interpretation of tomb art, and experimental archaeology (yes, they did try this out!) we now know exactly how these monuments were constructed.  First, a pharaoh would immediately commission the construction of a pyramid as soon as he ascended to the throne.  He would appoint an architect and chief engineer who would plan out the design and layout of the structure.  They would then oversee its building, which was done through the labor tens of thousands of men, who were compensated with housing, clothing, and nutritious meals.  These were not slaves but men who volunteered to work as they were treated better than had they been employed elsewhere.  Large temporary communities would be built at the construction site to house the men, and about 4000 pounds of meat would be provided to the workers to keep them healthy and strong so they could work over the decade or more to build each pyramid.
 

Figure 4: The Bent Pyramid, the first but not quite right smooth faced pyramid

The biggest mystery was how exactly the large and heavy limestone blocks were brought to the site.  Well, a little bit of man power and water did the trick in both removing the stone blocks from the quarry and bringing them to construction site.  Workers would use copper or dolerite tools to cut out as much of the stone as possible, followed by wood pegs and water to excise it from the quarry.  The stones would then be shipped along the Nile to the construction site.  They would then be pushed onto wooden sleds and water would dampen the desert sands, thereby allowing men to pull the wooden sleds holding the stones across the desert.  A system of sand ramps would be built to allow the stones to be placed at each level of the pyramid, and the sand ramps would be built upon or brushed away as necessary in the construction of the pyramid.  

So there you have it.  It was not aliens.  It was not slave labor.  It was honest hard work, creativity, and a need to outdo predecessors that led to the creation and construction of these ancient and great monuments.  It was also through hard work, creativity, and cooperation that scholars finally realized this and were able to solve this mystery.  And I'm not sorry to break the hearts of any alien conspiracy theorists (because the idea is partially laden with racist undertones to believe that any ancient society cannot do what modern societies do today).  Humans are capable of doing a great many things, so be inspired by the great wonders and make your own mark on the world.

References

Handwerk, B.  No Date.  “Pyramids at Giza: How the Pyramids at Giza Were Built is One of Egypt’s Biggest Mysteries.”  National Geographic.

Jarus, O.  2016. “How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?” Live Science.

McCauley, M.  2014.  “Probing Question: How Were the Egyptian Pyramids Built?”  Penn State University.

McDonald, J.  2014.  “Scientists Have An Answer To How the Egyptian Pyramids Were Built.”  JSTOR Daily.