Ancient Egyptian pyramid construction techniques and ramp theories

Construction of the Ancient Pyramids

The Egyptian pyramids remain one of the most beautiful and complex mysteries of the modern world. Throughout history there have been many theories regarding the exact manner in which the Egyptian pyramids were built but no one seems to have devised a concept that has been completely accepted.

It appears to modern man the ancient Egyptian pyramids were no small feat to construct. Ancient documents have revealed that in most instances it took numerous years, usually decades, for even one of the ancient Egypt pyramids to be assembled (Mystery of the Egyptian Pyramids).

Construction of the Pyramids

There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place (Great Pyramid of Khufu).

Ancient Egyptians had the wheel technology and may have used them in building the pyramids by moving heavy stones. They also used pulleys to raise their boats' sails and could have used them in lifting stones to higher levels.

The true pyramid is a natural development and improvement on the earliest form of pyramids, the step pyramid, consisting of several steps. The first true pyramids were introduced in at the beginning of the 4th dynasty. The structure of these pyramids is virtually the same as a step pyramid. Packing blocks are stacked until the dimensions were right, and then finishing blocks (usually limestone) were the last touch (Winston ).

A major problem facing the builders of the ancient Egyptian pyramids was getting the large stone blocks to the height they required. The method of building ramps is the only one proven to have been used (Winston).

The ramps were built on inclined planes of mud brick and rubble. They then dragged the blocks on sledges to the needed height. As the pyramid grew taller, the ramp had to be extended in length, and its base was widened, or else it would collapse. It is likely that for the construction of each pyramid, several ramps were probably used (Winston).

Various Ramp Style Theories

Many theories have been introduced suggesting building ramps either from one direction, four directions, or helical ramps that rose around the pyramid.

The arrangement of the ramps used for building is in much dispute. Assuming that the step pyramid was built before the outer structure, and then the packing blocks were laid on top, the ramps could have run from one step to another rather than approaching the pyramid face at right angles (Winston).

Some of the pyramids indicate an accurate understanding of Pi due to the relationship between the base perimeter and the height, but the mathematical knowledge of the Egyptians did not include the ability to arrive at this by calculation. It is possible that Pi could have been arrived at "accidentally" through a means such as counting the revolutions of a drum (Winston).

Alternate Theory -- Built with no Ramps

Building from the center out using no ramps meant starting at the center by constructing a core or mastaba (a square building of one layer of stones). The pyramid shape was finished by making a small pyramid in the center, then surrounding it from the four sides by a layer (5-10 m thick). This made a new, bigger pyramid. Work continued, increasing the base size and the height until the decision was made to stop (Halim).

Construction Utilizing Large Labor Force was Plausible

Petrie, one of the first great modern Egyptologists, thought that the huge labor force the Greek historian Herodotus reported (100,000 men) to have been used for the construction of the Great Pyramid was plausible. In his view, which continues to have considerable acceptance by today's Egyptologists, the labor force was drawn mostly from the rural Egyptian population who would work on the monuments during flood season, when they could not work in their fields.

One of the most long held beliefs relating to the building of the pyramids is that they were constructed through mostly the use of slave labor. The reliablity of this is unknown since some outrageous theories have surfaced indicating aliens were involved in the construction of the pyramids. It is probably not unreasonable to believe that a few slaves were also involved in this construction work, though to what extent we do not know. And as for the aliens, let's not degrade the accomplishments by going there, said Petrie (Winston, The Labors of Pyramid Building ).

Architecture of the Pyramids

The pyramids' architecture is a monumental structure constructed of or faced with stone or brick and having a rectangular base and four sloping triangular (or sometimes trapezoidal) sides meeting at an apex (or truncated to form a platform) (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The internal construction of most pyramids consists of a series of buttress walls surrounding a central core. The walls decrease in height from the center outwards. In other words, the core of the true pyramid is essentially a step pyramid. The internal arrangement added stability to the structure. Packing blocks filled the "steps" formed by the faces of the outermost buttress walls and casting blocks (often Limestone) completed the structure of the pyramid (Winston).

People might tend to think that Egyptian building styles stayed the same for the whole period of Egyptian history -- over two thousand years -- but that's not true. The Egyptians built different kinds of buildings at different times, just like any other group of people.

For instance, with the pyramids, architects and builders used different materials. In the 12th and 13th dynasties, mainly because of economy, it was suitable for relatively modest structures to be built with inferior materials. Solid walls of stone ran from the center of the pyramid, and shorter cross walls formed a series of chambers filled with stone blocks, rubble, or mud bricks. An outer casing was usually added, and although quite effective in the short-term, it did not come close to the earlier construction methods. Pyramids which were built with this structural design are quite dilapidated and worn (Winston, Overview of Pyramid Construction)