Archaeologists have discovered how the ancient Egyptians managed to build one of the seven wonders of the world that survived to this day – the Great Pyramid of Giza. The construction of the Pyramid near the city of Giza in Egypt began in the middle of the third millennium BCE about 2,600BC over 20-25 years. The 481ft tall structure was the largest of all the pyramids and was, until the Middle Ages, the tallest man-made construction on Earth. It is believed to be the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu Ben Sanfaro, of the fourth dynasty, to serve him in the afterlife.
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The question that archaeologists have long argued is how 800 tonnes of limestone and granite was transported to Giza from Aswan everyday. Or, how the Egyptians transported 2.5 million blocks from a distance of 500 miles (800 kilometers) to the Pyramid with the simple tools they were given. Now a discovery of an ancient papyrus scroll found in the Wadi al-Jarf port could finally put an end to the debate, reports the Mail on Sunday .
According to the ancient document, it was done by boats and a brilliant system of works for water routing. The detailed archaeological material shows that thousands of skilled workers transported 170,000 tons of limestone along the Nile in wooden boats connected to each other by ropes, through a system of canals that was built specifically and reached the port a few meters from the base of the Pyramid.
The document, written by Merer, who was in charge of a team of 40 selected workers, describes firsthand the process of building the Great Pyramid and how limestone was sent downstream from Tora to Giza. Although it has long been known that the granite from the inside of the pyramid was cut in Aswan, 860 km from
Although it has long been known that the granite from the inside of the pyramid was cut in Aswan, 860 km from Giza and the outer limestone came from Tora, eight kilometers away, archaeologists disagreed about how to transfer it.
Now archaeologist Mark Lehner, a leading expert in the field, reveals evidence of a lost waterway under the ground, “We have mapped the central canal that we think was the main shipping area to the foot of Giza,” he said.
The new discoveries were revealed in a documentary program on the British Channel 4, “The Great Pyramid of Egypt: The New Evidence,” which also includes the exposure of another team of archaeologists about a ceremonial boat designed for Khufu and providing new insights into vessel construction at the time.
