It took about 20 years to build the Great Pyramid.
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Building a Giant
Workers in ancient Egypt built a huge pyramid without any of the machines we use today. Find out how they did it.
Jim McMahon/Mapman®
The Great Pyramid of Giza has towered over Egypt for more than 4,500 years. It stands about 450 feet tall. The pyramid is made up of millions of stone blocks. Some are heavier than a school bus!
But ancient Egyptians didn’t have the types of machines we use today. So how did they move such heavy materials?
That question has puzzled experts for centuries. Here’s what they know so far about the process.
A Mighty Waterway
Today the pyramid is surrounded by sand. But a 40-mile-long section of the Nile River used to be nearby. The section dried up after the pyramid was built. The waterway likely allowed boats to bring huge stone blocks and other building materials to the pyramid site.
Illustrations by Julia Mozharovskaya
Note: The pyramid illustration is not drawn to scale.
What's Inside
The pyramid was built as a tomb for Khufu (KOO-foo). He was a pharaoh. Passageways inside the pyramid lead to the king’s burial chamber. Above the chamber are rows of heavy stone blocks. They support some of the pyramid’s weight. That has helped prevent the pyramid from collapsing.
Ramped Up
Workers likely used ramps to move the pyramid’s heavy stone blocks. The ramps were probably made with gravel and clay.
Workers placed wooden beams on top of the ramps, like railroad tracks. They covered the beams with clay and water to make them slippery. This allowed workers to pull the stones up the ramps on sleds.
1. According to the article, what question about the Great Pyramid has puzzled experts for a long time?
2. How has the area surrounding the Great Pyramid changed in the past 4,500 years?
3. What is the section “Ramped Up” mostly about?
