Theories of the Construction of the Great Pyramids
- The most popular theory of construction holds that the Egyptians built large masonry ramps, and a large number of slaves moved the construction stones into place. This method of construction, however, would have required tens of thousands more slaves and many more years to complete than the evidence and Egyptian records allow. Evidence points to a 20-year construction period with about a 50,000-man workforce -- far less than the 50-year construction period and 110,000-man workforce this method of construction would have required.
- Another theory suggests the Egyptians used timber to lever stones in progressively higher stages, like stairs. While raised by a set of levers, a set of timbers kept the stone stable before workers raised it to another level by additional levers. While this theory can account for the smaller stones, it fails to explain how the Egyptians moved the large stones into place, some weighing more than 60 tons.
- Some have suggested that the Egyptians merely cast each stone on the spot to decrease the labor of moving large stones. In this way, they easily could move small amounts of cement to the site of the next casting stone. Upon cementing, they could settle the stone into its final position. The weakness in this theory lies is the confidence of archeologists that workers did not mold most stones used in construction, which were, in fact, cut and moved from a quarry more than 50 miles away.
- Yet another theory suggests that they Egyptians possessed far greater technology than we do today. By tapping into the magnetic forces of the earth, they could move immensely heavy stones into place with little effort. Notably, some theorize that workers constructed Stonehenge and the Coral Castle in this way as well. Although never disproved, this theory lacks any substantiation, for there is very little modern evidence to suggest that this type of construction is possible.
- Another riddle centered on the pyramids' construction presents the problem of transporting the stones to the pyramids' location. Although the obvious conclusion is that slaves simply dragged or rolled the stones along the ground, the immense workforce required for this task would have made a 20-year construction project impossible. Others theorize that workers loaded the stones into boats on the banks of the river Nile. From there, they could have easily pushed the boats into place once the water level rose. Finally, the theory of advanced technological magnetics offers a more elaborate explanation, surmising levitation of the stones over long distances.
