Science Mysteries Explained Book entry (excerpt)
Could the Egyptians really have built the pyramids all by themselves?
One of the most popular conspiracy theories says the Great Pyramid and others of similar size are too big and too perfect for pre-industrial humans to have built. But could they have?
The opening of the entry. Excerpt.
Modern humans, with all their fancy technology, have a tendency to be a bit patronizing about ancient civilizations. But since we’re separated from them by just 4,500 years (the Great Pyramid was finished in 2560 B.C.), they were every bit as smart as us. They just didn’t have jet airliners or electricity. Or wheels.
Egypt had a real thing for pyramids and built hundreds of them over several millennia. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the biggest and the most famous – it was already old when the Greeks and Romans visited. It’s the only one of the classical Seven Wonders of the World still standing.
The original height was 481 feet (146.6m), but today it’s 455 feet (138.5m) tall and 756 feet (230.5m) across at the base. It probably weighs over five million tons.
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