Answers to the 3 greatest mysteries of the Pyramids of Giza

The Pyramids of Giza were built as tombs for the 26th-century BCE rulers of Egypt, Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. 

The largest and most famous of the pyramids is the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which is over 135 metres (443 feet) tall and contains more than 2 million blocks of stone. 

After the pharaohs were buried in their pyramids, the passageways were blocked, and hidden chambers were created to stop thieves.

The construction of the pyramids at Giza took many years and required a huge workforce. 

Estimates say that as many as 30,000 workers may have been involved in building the Great Pyramid of Khufu alone. 

Evidence from archaeology provides information about the workers involved in the construction of the pyramids at Giza. 

For example, excavations at the site of the workers’ village near the pyramids have revealed the remains of several hundred to around two thousand mud-brick structures that would have housed workers and their families. 

The village also contained bakeries, breweries, and other facilities that provided food and supplies for those labouring on the project. 

Archaeologists have also found evidence of the tools used to quarry, shape, and move the limestone blocks that built the pyramids. 

Such tools included copper chisels, stone hammers, and wooden sledges that transported the blocks from the quarry to the construction site.

The construction of the pyramids at Giza was one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history, but the exact methods used by the ancient Egyptians to build the pyramids were not completely known.  

However, researchers are able to piece together some of the techniques that were likely used. 

The first step in building a pyramid was to select a suitable site and level the ground.

Site leveling was performed using simple tools, such as plumb bobs, measuring rods, and stakes, and trenches were filled to ensure a level foundation.

Then, the workers began to extract the limestone blocks that would be used, which were transported from the quarry to the construction location on sledges.

Ramps built at an angle allowed workers to move the massive stones across uneven ground. 

Once the blocks were at the base, they were cut and shaped using hand tools made mainly from copper.

Then workers probably used another network of ramps to transport the blocks to higher levels, and wooden levers helped shift them into their final positions.

The process required an immense workforce. 

Once the blocks were in place, workers carefully adjusted each one to ensure a tight fit. 

Next, the outer surface of the pyramid was covered in polished limestone slabs that were cut to fit together without gaps.

Mortar made from gypsum filled the joints. 

Finally, a capstone was placed at the summit of the pyramid to match the exact dimensions of the peak, often made from granite or another hard stone. 

The pyramids at Giza were primarily tombs for the pharaohs during the Old Kingdom period.

They believed that they were divine beings, and their physical bodies were necessary to maintain divine status in the afterlife. 

The pyramids were built as eternal homes for those bodies. 

Most pyramids were constructed on the west bank of the Nile River, as this location held deep religious meaning for the Egyptians since it related to the setting sun and the world of the dead.

A pyramid formed the centrepiece of the pharaoh’s mortuary complex and would often stand among smaller pyramids and tombs that were constructed later for members of the royal family and court. 

A causeway would often link the pyramid to a nearby temple, where offerings took place to honor the pharaoh’s ka, or soul. 

Besides their role as conspicuous funerary monuments, the pyramids' immense size demonstrated wealth and authority to contemporaries and future generations.