Historical Records Show Casings Gone by 2500 Years Ago. Herodotus (5th century BC) described Khufu pyramid as having steps/tiers, indicating casings were already missing Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) recorded Khufu pyramid's structure as undecayed but described it as tiered John Greaves in 1646 documented Khafre pyramid's casing as mostly intact in his book Pyramidographia
By 2500 years ago, the pyramids' smooth limestone casings were already largely missing. Greek historian Herodotus described the Great Pyramid as tiered in the 400s BC. In 1638, John Greaves documented Khafre still had most of its casing intact — a rare glimpse into their condition before modern study. A 1610 drawing shows Khufu pyramid with no casings and Khafre with some top casings. Diodorus Siculus in the 1st century BC also described the pyramid as tiered. Greek visitors noted darker stones at the base of Khafre and Menkaure, distinguishing the original casing from core masonry.
Key Facts
- Herodotus (5th century BC) described Khufu pyramid as having steps/tiers, indicating casings were already missing
- Diodorus Siculus (1st century BC) recorded Khufu pyramid's structure as undecayed but described it as tiered
- John Greaves in 1646 documented Khafre pyramid's casing as mostly intact in his book Pyramidographia
- A 1610 drawing shows Khufu pyramid with no casings and Khafre with some top casings
- Greek scholars noted darker stones at bottom of Khafre and Menkaure pyramids
- Greaves noted Menkaure appeared white and bright, possibly due to sunlight angle
- Ancient historians confirm smooth limestone casings were largely gone by around 2500 years ago
Related site: The Great Pyramid of Giza — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Pyramids' Black & White Casings: The SHOCKING True Purpose by Curious Being