How did ancient Egyptians build the Great Pyramid? Architect Jean-Pierre Houdin proposed an internal spiral ramp, with an external ramp covering the first ~200 feet built from blocks later reused. The Grand Gallery may have acted as a counterweight elevator system, pulling granite blocks upward as weighted trolleys descended. Modern scanning has found mysterious voids inside, but no continuous spiral ramp has been confirmed.
Ramp construction theories for the Great Pyramid, including Houdin's internal ramp
EgyptTheory
Key facts
- A straight ramp to full pyramid height could extend over half a mile to three-quarters of a mile, making it nearly as large an engineering project as the pyramid itself
- The Great Pyramid has a 52-degree slope and was encased in smooth limestone, which would not support external rubble ramps without collapse
- French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin proposed an internal ramp theory where an external ramp was used for the first ~200 feet, built from pyramid blocks that were later reused
- Houdin proposed the Grand Gallery functioned as a counterweight system, with weighted wooden trolleys descending to help pull granite blocks upward like an elevator
- Ordinary pyramid limestone blocks weigh approximately 2 tons, while granite blocks in the King's Chamber weigh dozens of tons
- Modern scanning has discovered previously unknown voids inside the Great Pyramid, though no continuous spiral ramp matching Houdin's model has been identified
Site mentioned
Sources
Monumental Shiftsmithsonianmag.com
In the final stage, Houdin contends, the builders reached the steep upper layers of the pyramid by means of spiraling internal ramps, or tunnels ...
Updating the Great Pyramid Internal Ramp Theorythearchaeologist.org
In October of 2022, Houdin published an update to his theory which reflects the ScanPyramids findings from the past six years. The ScanPyramids ...
How to Build a Pyramid - Archaeology Magazine Archivearchive.archaeology.org
The theory suggests that for the bottom third of the pyramid, the blocks were hauled up a straight, external ramp. This ramp was far shorter than the one needed ...
Jean-Pierre Houdinen.wikipedia.org
His theory posits an external ramp to build the lower portion, followed by an internal spiral ramp for the upper portion.
Return to the Great Pyramid - Archaeology Magazine Archivearchive.archaeology.org
architect Jean-Pierre Houdin and I presented a radical new theory: that blocks of stone were raised to the very top of the pyramid on an internal ramp.
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