Giants or genius? The secret behind the pyramids
A video of mythical giants carrying massive stones, seemingly building an Egyptian pyramid, has recently gone viral on social media.
The AI-generated clip is yet another example of the myths that have become embedded in the narrative of how the pyramids were constructed.
A thin line separates the age of science, with its logical explanations grounded in evidence, from the preceding eras. Back then, mythology was the means of making sense of the unknown, especially when that unknown shrouds the mystery of pyramid construction.
Mythologizing the pyramids’ construction
In his research, “Egyptian Pyramids” late Egyptologist Dr. Abdel Halim Noureldin wrote that “people’s excessive speculation and their difficulty in grasping what they saw in reality led them to abandon reason and logic. As a result, they surrounded the Great Pyramid and other pyramids with a flood of stories and myths about how they were built, their purpose, and who constructed them.”
“This remained in the realm of imagination without evidence until the field of Egyptology began deciphering Egyptian writing (hieroglyphics) in 1822, as recorded on the Rosetta Stone.”
With the unveiling of the secrets of the ancient Egyptian language, facts became clearer. They were also backed by an abundance of reliable sources such as papyri, inscriptions, and the tools used by the ancient Egyptians in pyramid construction.
But why do myths persist despite scientific progress? More importantly, how were the pyramids actually built according to Egyptology?
In an interview with Al Manassa, Dr. Hussein Bassir, former director general of the Giza Pyramids site and current director of the Antiquities Museum at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, explained why.
“Some people are drawn to mythological narratives about the construction of the pyramids, such as giants or the jinn [supernatural beings in Islam], due to the allure of mystery and the power of popular imagination.”
He further clarified that the pyramids represent an extraordinary achievement that challenges conventional understanding of how an ancient civilization could construct such precise and massive structures. Consequently, some turn to unconventional explanations that surpass known scientific boundaries, relying on myths and cultural symbols that evoke a sense of wonder and strangeness.
Bassir also asserted that “the circulation of these stories reinforces false beliefs and amplifies them among people who may struggle to accept complex scientific explanations.”
Monica Hanna, acting dean of the College of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage at AASTMT in Aswan, Egypt, offered another explanation. According to her, “There has always been an attempt to separate modern Egypt from its ancient history, dating back to the French invasion (1798–1801).”
She continued, “Since the 19th century, the West has attempted to claim ancient Egypt as part of European civilization through its ties to Greek culture, in what is a Eurocentric view of ancient Egypt.”
“Then came the Afrocentric movement, which also sought to attribute Egyptian civilization to the peoples of Africa, promoting narratives suggesting that present-day Egyptians are the result of successive occupations of Egyptian land,” she added.
Hanna argued that while ancient Egypt had strong African connections, this interpretation is merely a reaction to Eurocentrism and its perspective on Egyptian history.
As a result, these mythical narratives about pyramid construction emerge to align with ideas that claim it was impossible for the ancestors of modern Egyptians to have built such an extraordinary structure.
Bassir pointed out that the most prominent scientific theories on pyramid construction are based on the engineering and technical advancements achieved by the ancient Egyptians.
Among these is the ‘internal ramp’ theory. It suggests that workers used spiral ramps inside the pyramid to transport stones to higher levels, while the ‘external ramp’ theory focuses on the use of straight or curved ramps.
“Some other theories propose that a mixture of clay and natural materials was used to create synthetic stones,” he explained.
“Studies indicate that efficient labor organization, high-quality stone tools, and a strong understanding of astronomy and engineering all contributed to the Egyptians’ ability to construct this magnificent structure with astonishing precision.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=micW2VAS2DYElaborating on the prevailing theory of pyramid construction, Dr. Mustafa Nour El-Din, a chief archaeologist at the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told Al Manassa. “The evolution of tomb construction in ancient Egypt proves that the pyramids are an entirely Egyptian innovation.”
“Initially, tombs were simple pits during the Early Dynastic Period. Then, in the Old Kingdom, they developed into pit burials covered with mastabas. By the end of the Third Dynasty, the mastaba evolved into a step pyramid, and finally, in the Fourth Dynasty during the reign of Sneferu, the first true pyramid appeared. His son, King Khufu, later built the Great Pyramid,” he explained.
As for the transportation of the massive stones, which is difficult for many to comprehend, Nour El-Din explained, “There are numerous depictions showing the transportation of colossal statues and obelisks, which weighed tenfold more than the stones used in the pyramids."
He noted that one customary method for moving large stones involved placing them on sledges while workers at the front poured what is believed to be milk, to reduce friction between the sledges and the ground.
“In the case of the pyramids, most of the stones were quarried from the Giza Plateau itself, while the outer casing stones were transported via the Nile from the Tura quarries on the east bank,” Nour El-Din said. “The stones were then raised using ascending ramps.”
These ascending ramps were long, brick-and-mud inclines designed to lift the massive stones to the pyramid’s heights. Workers pulled the stones on wooden sledges over these ramps using ropes and pulleys. As the pyramid grew taller, the ramps were extended to reach higher levels. These ramps were built wide and sturdy, providing a stable base for hauling the heavy stones efficiently and safely.
A relatively more recent archaeological discovery has helped solve one of the mysteries of pyramid construction. Nour El-Din highlighted the discovery of a port at Wadi Al-Jarf on the western coast of the Red Sea, which dates back to the Fourth Dynasty.
This port was used for mining expeditions to Sinai and the land of Punt in Africa. Inside one of the caves, archaeologists found papyrus scrolls that belong to an employee named Merer, who documented daily records of the pyramid’s construction.
The Wadi Al-Jarf papyrus, discovered in 2013, contains daily records of Merer and his team’s work. These records describe how massive limestone blocks were transported from the Tura quarries to the pyramid construction site in Giza. They also detail the number of workers, the tools used, the routes taken for transportation, and even the workers’ diet.
This papyrus, known as the Diary of Merer, highlights the remarkable administrative and logistical organization behind the pyramid project. It details how a massive workforce was managed, fed, and transported. Additionally, it provides insight into the engineering techniques used to cut, transport, and precisely place these enormous stone blocks.
“Merer’s papyrus offers irrefutable evidence of how the pyramids were built,” Nour El-Din said, “debunking myths that suggest giants were responsible for their construction.” Instead, it is clear that strong Egyptian laborers, many of whom were also involved in mining, were the ones who built the pyramids.
“Simply put, the ancient Egyptians relied on their natural resources and human strength.”
Scientific explanations
With significant scientific advancements, many researchers have attempted to deepen the understanding of the pyramid construction process and unravel the mysteries shrouding certain aspects of it. Among these efforts were multiple simulations of the pyramid building process, the most notable being a Japanese experiment conducted in 1978.
That year, a team of 24 Japanese scientists attempted to construct a scaled-down pyramid near the Giza Pyramids using ancient techniques. However, they encountered significant difficulties in cutting and transporting the stones, underscoring the exceptional skill of the ancient Egyptians.
Bassir attributed the failure of these reconstruction attempts to several factors. The most significant being the loss of the advanced engineering knowledge and techniques possessed by the ancient Egyptians for thousands of years, much of which was not clearly documented.
He also noted that pyramid construction relied on intensive manual labor, requiring millions of work hours; an immense challenge that would be difficult to replicate today.
Another major factor is the availability of high-quality natural stone materials in ancient Egypt. While these resources were abundant during the pyramid-building era, modern reconstruction efforts struggle to obtain stone of the same quality and quantity, making the task even more difficult.
Beyond attempts to replicate pyramid construction, studies have explored alternative theories to uncover more about these monumental structures. One such theory suggests the use of hydraulic lifting techniques for transporting stones for the Step Pyramid of Djoser.
In August, a research paper published in PLOS One proposed that large stones might have been transported via water channels instead of the traditional land-based dragging methods.
According to Bassir, the study focuses on the construction of the Step Pyramid and suggests the presence of potential water structures around it. “Interest in this idea is growing, but definitive evidence remains limited,” he commented.
He continued, “There is no conclusive proof that the Great Pyramids used hydraulic lifting systems, as there are no clear indications of such mechanisms within them. More field research is needed to determine whether this method was applied to larger pyramids.”
Hanna concluded by emphasizing that no scientific evidence supports the hydraulic theory to date, and most archaeologists do not endorse it.
“Part of the significance of this unique monument [the pyramids] is that it continues to inspire both scientific and metaphysical thinking,” she said.
Hanna hopes that interdisciplinary research in engineering, mathematics, and logistics will eventually uncover new explanations for the intricate construction process of these extraordinary monuments.
(*) A version of this article first appeared in Arabic on Oct. 22, 2024.