THE GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA has long remained a mystery over how it was built over 4,500 years ago. A new discovery could now reveal how the remaining Wonder of the World was constructed.
The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in approximately 2560 BC, and was completed 20 years later.
Once standing at 481 feet, it was the largest man-made sculpture for more than 3,800 years – it has since eroded to 455 feet.
However, due to the size and the era it was built, it has long remained a mystery over how the stones were moved to the location during the 4th dynasty.
A new discovery could be the key to finding out once and for all how it was constructed.
A team of archeologists from the French Institute for Oriental Archaeology in Cairo and the University of Liverpool, England were exploring the area between the pyramids and the Eastern Desert, where the blocks came from.
An alabaster quarry in the region, called Hatnub, was where many of the materials were made by the Egyptians.
A large transport system has since been found, made up of a ramp and two staircases with holes.
The team released a statement to LiveScience explaining what this means.
One of the co-directors of the mission, Yannis Gourdon, said: “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.
“This kind of system has never been discovered anywhere else.”
The discovery dates back to similar times of Pharaoh Khufu, who the Great Pyramid of Giza was built for containing his tomb.
While not conclusive, the evidence could aid the theory of builders drawing the large stones from the quarry to build the pyramids.
It has long been debated how many workers were needed during the 20-year period to build the grand sculpture.
In Ancient Greek times, it was thought that 100,000 slaves were used, only for later 20th-century knowledge stating 20,000 skills workers would have been used instead.
Many discoveries have been made in regard to the Great Pyramid of Giza in recent months.
In July, hidden chambers that could be used to focus electromagnetic energy were found.
They could soon be used as a source for renewable energy due to the way they transmit the signals.
That same month, an old burial site was found in the Great Pyramid of Giza that dated back 2,500 years.
Located inside were items such as a rare silver mask, one of only two of their kind.
