Scientists may have discovered how the Giza Pyramid was constructed

PanARMENIAN.Net - Archaeologists may have solved one of the greatest mysteries of modern times — they believe they may have discovered how the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed 4,500 years ago in Ancient Egpyt, Fox News reports.

According to LiveScience, archaeologists may have unearthed the system responsible for pulling the stones up a slope at Hatnub, an ancient alabaster quarry. The system may have been used to transport these stones, according to the archaeologists at French Institute for Oriental Archaeology. And it may have been used to build the Great Pyramid, which is comprised of 2.3 million limestone and granite blocks, the average of which weighs 2.5 tons.

"This system is composed of a central ramp flanked by two staircases with numerous post holes," Yannis Gourdon, co-director of the joint mission told LiveScience. "Using a sled which carried a stone block and was attached with ropes to these wooden posts, ancient Egyptians were able to pull up the alabaster blocks out of the quarry on very steep slopes of 20 percent or more."

In September 2017, researchers found evidence that the limestone used to create the Great Pyramid may have been transported by boat.

The ropes were attached to the sled and allowed for an easier trip up the ramp, letting the people carrying the heavy slabs in an easier manner, Roland Enmarch, the other co-director of the Hatnub mission, told the news outlet.

"This kind of system has never been discovered anywhere else," Gourdon added. "The study of the tool marks and the presence of two [of] Khufu's inscriptions led us to the conclusion that this system dates back at least to Khufu's reign, the builder of the Great Pyramid in Giza."

"As this system dates back at least to Khufu's reign, that means that during the time of Khufu, ancient Egyptians knew how to move huge blocks of stone using very steep slopes. Therefore, they could have used it for the construction [of] his pyramid," Gourdon said.

At 481 feet tall, the Great Pyramid is the largest of the three pyramids at Giza. It was built for the pharaoh Khufu, while the other two pyramids were built for pharaohs Khafre and Menkaure, respectively. It's unknown how long it took to build, but researchers believe it was done over a 10 or 20-year period, concluding around 2,560 B.C.