The construction of the Great Pyramid in Egypt has long perplexed archaeologists, as ancient records fail to detail the methods employed for hoisting and assembling the massive stone blocks. A recent study suggests that the builders utilized an internal system involving counterweights and lifting mechanisms, enabling them to raise the stones at an astonishing pace. This information was disclosed by the Daily Mail on January 20th.
Based on the fresh insights, enormous stone blocks were lifted using counterbalances that traversed inclined internal passages within the pyramid. This arrangement could have facilitated the elevation of blocks at a rate as high as one per minute. Architectural features inside the pyramid, such as the Grand Gallery and the Ascending Passage, lend support to this hypothesis, as they could have served as these internal hoisting ramps.
The lead researcher, Dr. Simon Andreas Scheuring from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, posited that deploying a counterweight system would have dramatically expedited the construction timeframe. This offers an explanation for how such heavy materials were raised to such elevations within a twenty-year period.
The investigation further posits that the Great Pyramid of Khufu was erected from the interior outwards, commencing with the core structure and integrating concealed stone-lifting apparatuses. This novel concept accounts for peculiar irregularities in room placement, such as the misalignments of certain corridors and chambers, which are difficult to reconcile with conventional theories relying on the use of external ramps.
Furthermore, a novel interpretation has been put forth for the so-called ‘air shafts’ or “Antechamber,” previously thought to be mere security measures against tomb robbers. These spaces are now being considered as part of the mechanism used to elevate even the densest blocks.
The research team maintains that this finding has the potential to reshape archaeological understanding not only of the Great Pyramid but also of pyramid construction practices throughout ancient Egypt.
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