The Great Pyramids of Giza. Located near the city of Cairo, Egypt; the capital of Egypt. They are a major attraction for tourists traveling to Egypt. There are many misconceptions about how the pyramids were built, mainly that they were either built by slaves or what the title of this article is, which is that aliens built the Great Pyramids of Giza. Many also do not know the true purpose of the pyramids. The biggest question of all is still not 100% confirmed. This question is how were the pyramids built? 

First to backtrack, the purpose of the pyramids is as a tomb for the Old Dynastic period of Egypt—these were the years of 2686 B.C.E. to 2181 B.C.E.. These projects were commissioned by the King before their deaths and took decades to construct. All Egyptian Pharaohs were buried in a grand manor with tons of possessions from life. In the pre-dynastic pyramid the first concept of an Egyptian pyramid was constructed; these were called Mastabas. These were rectangular shaped buildings with curved roofs. 

So what led to the creation of the Great Pyramids of Giza (near modern day Cairo) that we see today? In the Ancient Egyptian religion, it was believed that when a Pharaoh dies he becomes the God Osiris. In the transition period for the Pharaoh to become Osiris it is imperative that their souls—or Ka—survive the afterlife. According to their beliefs, in order to survive the afterlife they had to have food and material resources from their lives. The Mastabas and Pyramids were places for food and resources to be brought to the dead to be used in the afterlife for survival of the Ka. An idea to make the burial structures more grand was to stack a smaller mastaba on top of a mastaba which created the infamous “stepped Pyramid.” Builder Imhotep is credited with the idea of creating the modern pyramid structures that are “Great Pyramids of Giza.” The reason pyramids were chosen is they are representative of the sun’s rays which would help the Ka of the Pharaohs ascend and join the other Gods in heaven. 

Now knowing the purpose of the pyramids, how were they built? There are many theories but there are some known facts. One fact is that gigantic limestone blocks were used in the construction; these stones would weigh anywhere from 1.5-2.5 tons each. Firmer limestone was also found in the relative vicinity of Giza across the Nile in Tura (that is slightly debated). Lastly, Granite was extracted from quarries in Aswan, Egypt which is approximately 500 miles away from Giza. How were these materials moved into place? One theory is that ropes were used to pull the blocks on sleds over wet sand to slightly reduce friction. Another theory is that the Egyptians used the Nile to float the blocks from the quarries to the building sites. Egyptians also built some canals to float the blocks as well. 

What was the process used in creating the pyramids? Mud walls, methods of strategic flooding, and chiseling extra rock was used to create a flat base. But how were blocks raised higher and higher. Similar theories emerge on how these blocks were raised and put into place. The same theory of pulling the blocks on sleds into place is present. The only addition is that ramps were constructed so the blocks were pulled up to where they needed to go on the pyramid. The ramps got higher and higher as the pyramid got more and more completed. The other theory is the water elevator theory. The theory is that the Egyptians built structures similar to locks in the Panama Canal in which blocks were placed into pools of water that got higher and higher until they reached the spot they needed to go in the pyramid. There is not as much concrete evidence to support this theory. 

An important question arises as well. How did the blocks stay together? The blocks were held together using a very early form of concrete. This was created by using a mixture of limestone, clay, water, and lime. The blocks were also placed extremely accurately which limits the ability for slips. 

Who actually built the pyramids? There is a common misconception that the pyramids were built by slaves but according to research and historical records it can be determined that thousands upon thousands of skilled laborers helped build the pyramids. They were also paid via bread and beer. 

So much is still unknown about the pyramids. Despite that, there is still tons known that the general public still is in the dark about. Many still believe that aliens built the pyramids or that it is physically impossible which is wildly untrue and has been disproven with tons of research.

Sources used:

• How Were the Pyramids Built? Explore all Theories & Secrets 
• Why were the Egyptian pyramids built? – History Skills 
• Ancient Egyptian Timeline – The Australian Museum: 
• https://carlos.emory.edu/htdocs/ODYSSEY/EGYPT/mastaba.html#:~:text=Mastabas%20were%20rectangular%20mud%2Dbrick,pit%20dug%20from%20the%20sand. 
• https://www.history.com/articles/the-egyptian-pyramids
• How were the Pyramids of Giza built? | National Geographic. 
• Giza on line -The Pyramids -page 3- Quarries. 
• Moving and Lifting the Construction Blocks of the Great Pyramid 
• The Surprising Truth Behind the Construction of the Great Pyramids | NSF – U.S. National Science Foundation 
• Standing Tall: Egypt’s Great Pyramids | National Geographic