Archaeology & History

Pyramid construction mystery has been solved

By T.K. Randall
September 24, 2017 ·  32 comments

Canal networks were used to transport the stones. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Jerzy Strzelecki While archaeologists have long known that the stones used in the construction of the pyramids were transported over a distance of several miles, the exact way in which the ancient Egyptians achieved this without the benefits of modern technology has always remained something of a mystery.

Now though, the discovery of an ancient papyrus detailing exactly how this was done has finally offered up a complete picture of how the blocks were moved over such long distances.

The answer, it turns out, lies in a specially constructed network of canals that enabled the workers to transport the stone blocks on wooden boats all the way to the base of the pyramids.Written by an overseer named Merer, the papyrus describes how several thousand workers had been involved in the transportation of a staggering 170,000 tons of limestone.

It also describes how the workers transformed the landscape by diverting water through giant dykes.

A documentary about the discovery, "Egypt's Great Pyramid: The New Evidence", is set to be aired in the UK on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm. A trailer for it can be viewed below.


Source: New Zealand Herald | Comments (32)

Tags: Pyramid, Egypt, Giza