New findings at the site of Giza have answered one of history's most puzzling questions on how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid. (Shutterstock)
New findings at the site of Giza have answered one of history's most puzzling questions on how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid, according to archaeologists.
In a British documentary Egypt’s Great Pyramid: The New Evidence, archaeologists said Egyptians transported over 170,000 tons of limestone to build King Khufu’s tomb using purpose-built boats.
Ancient papyrus scroll, remains of a boat and a network of waterways at the site of the pyramid revealed how the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was built 4,000 years ago in about 2550 BC.
A man called Merer who was in charge of 40 elite sailors allegedly wrote the scroll. Archaeologists believe that thousands of trained workers used boats to navigate canals dug along the River Nile for the purposes of transporting limestone.
Thick, twisted ropes, some of which have survived and were found in good condition, held the boats together.
After collecting the stones, workers would bring them to a port a few meters from the base of the pyramid. In total, some 2.3 million blocks of stone were shipped over the course of two decades.
