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Could the secret of the Great Pyramids’ construction be hidden in this ancient quarry in the Egyptian desert? In any case, a ramp discovered by chance by paleontologists on the site in question could finally help us understand how the immense blocks of stone that make up the pyramids were moved and assembled.
Built some 4,500 years ago, the pyramids remain a gigantic enigma for engineers who have studied them. How were the ancient Egyptians able to build such gigantic monuments in ancient times?
The answer may lie in a fortuitous discovery. While working in the alabaster quarry of Hatnoub, north of the Luxor site, archaeologists uncovered an enormous ramp, 30 metres long and 3 metres wide, bordered by two staircases with holes for staking posts.
“Using a sledge that carried a block of stone and was attached with ropes to these wooden posts, the ancient Egyptians were able to pull the alabaster blocks from the quarry up very steep slopes of 20% or more,” estimates Yannis Gourdon, co-director of the mission.
“The study of the tool marks and the presence of two Khufu inscriptions have led us to the conclusion that this system dates back at least to the reign of Khufu, the builder of the Great Pyramid at Giza”, judges the French Egyptologist.
“Such a system allows several people to exert their strength together. In this way, the stone blocks could be moved much more quickly than previously thought,” concludes the research director.
