According to their calculations, it could have been created using a hidden spiral ramp inside the structure itself, not thanks to massive external ramps, as previously thought. For decades, it was not clear how the ancient builders were able to move millions of stone blocks, some weighing up to 15 tons. The new model of the computer scientist Vicente Luis Rosell Roig proposes the so-called a peripheral ramp that ran along the outer edges of the pyramid and was gradually covered by additional layers of stone.
The pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu has a base of about 230 meters on each side and a height of about 147 meters. According to estimates, it was built from approximately 2.3 million blocks. Simulations show that the blocks could be placed at intervals of four to six minutes, which would allow the construction to be completed in 14 to 21 years.
After accounting for quarrying, transport and downtime, the total construction time would be approximately 20 to 27 years. The study also explains the hitherto unexplained cavities inside the pyramid that could be the remains of this hidden ramp. “The technology of the Old Kingdom did not allow for iron tools, wheeled transport, or complex pulleys, but used copper chisels, water-lubricated sleds, ropes, levers, earthen structures and boats on the Nile,” said Rosell Roig.
The model indicates that the structure was stable even during construction. “Stress and settlement remain within realistic limits for Old Kingdom limestone under self-loading,” the study authors report. According to them, this approach could explain how the pyramid was built efficiently and without visible traces of construction tools. If future research confirms the assumed signs, it can fundamentally change the view of the origin of one of the most famous buildings in the world.
