Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Like us on Facebook
Curiosmos
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists
No Result
View All Result
Curiosmos
No Result
View All Result

This documentary explores building the Great Pyramid with ancient technology

A documentary explores how the ancient Egyptians may have succeeded in building the Great Pyramid with ancient technology—no cranes or aliens required.

Ivan PetricevicbyIvan Petricevic
March 18, 2019 - Updated on April 22, 2025
in Ancient Civilizations
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A documentary explores how ancient builders may have succeeded in building the Great Pyramid with ancient technology—without cranes, trucks, or modern machinery—by testing historical techniques and reexamining lost methods from more than 4,500 years ago.

The enduring mystery of pyramid construction

Across the world, ancient civilizations erected pyramids for thousands of years—vast stone structures that still defy easy explanation. While many associate these monuments with Egypt, pyramids were built independently in Central America, China, Sudan, and even parts of Europe. Yet none have inspired as much fascination as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Built during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BCE, the Great Pyramid was once nearly 140 meters tall and made from an estimated 2.3 million limestone and granite blocks. Many of these stones weigh over two tons, and the total mass of the pyramid exceeds 6.5 million tons. Despite the absence of cranes, heavy trucks, or advanced engineering tools, ancient builders managed to complete the structure in roughly two decades.

The precision and scale of the construction have left modern engineers perplexed. How were such massive stones cut, transported, and placed with such accuracy? And could we, with all our machinery, replicate the feat today?

Related Posts

An image of an ancient Egyptian pyramid and its reflection. Shutterstock.

The Birth of An Ancient Pyramid: How Egypt’s Oldest Pyramid Came to Be

January 3, 2020 - Updated on January 21, 2024
Ancient Wonders of Design: The Stepwell of Chand Baori and its 3,500 Steps

Ancient Wonders of Design: The Stepwell of Chand Baori and its 3,500 Steps

March 8, 2019 - Updated on April 19, 2025

Revisiting ancient techniques through modern eyes

This documentary explores building the Great Pyramid with ancient technology. An image of the Great Pyramid of Giza with a sand storm in the background. Shutterstock.
An image of the Great Pyramid of Giza with a sand storm in the background. Shutterstock.

A documentary presented by Channel 4 takes viewers on a journey through one of history’s greatest engineering riddles: building the Great Pyramid with ancient technology. Instead of relying on fringe theories or speculation, the film presents grounded, testable ideas about how ancient Egyptians may have accomplished the task.

Among the theories explored is the possibility that stones were hauled up a spiraling internal ramp. Proposed by architect Jean-Pierre Houdin, this idea suggests that construction materials were transported inside the pyramid as it rose, reducing the need for massive external ramps. The theory aligns with certain architectural clues found within the pyramid itself and offers a plausible explanation for how such precision was achieved without modern lifting tools.

Throughout the documentary, engineers, historians, and experimental archaeologists attempt to recreate aspects of the construction using period-appropriate tools and techniques. The results are often surprising—and sometimes more efficient than expected.

Could we build it today—and at what cost?

Though modern construction equipment allows us to move heavy loads with ease, recreating the Great Pyramid in the 21st century would still present formidable challenges. According to estimates cited by Live Science, it would cost over $5 billion to construct the pyramid today—even with cranes, helicopters, and automated machinery.

If historical accounts are correct and the pyramid was completed in just 20 years, this would mean positioning one stone approximately every five minutes, day and night, for two decades. The level of organization and workforce management required is staggering, especially considering the ancient builders lacked wheels, pulleys, and iron tools.

Rather than diminishing ancient achievements, these comparisons highlight the ingenuity and determination of the society that built one of the most enduring monuments on Earth.

The documentary doesn’t claim to provide the final answer. Instead, it offers a fascinating opportunity to explore how building the Great Pyramid with ancient technology may have been possible through sheer human effort, innovation, and organization—a legacy that continues to inspire and confound thousands of years later.

Share1489Tweet98Share27ShareSend
Ivan Petricevic

Ivan Petricevic

I've been writing passionately about ancient civilizations, history, alien life, and various other subjects for more than eight years. You may have seen me appear on Discovery Channel's What On Earth series, History Channel's Ancient Aliens, and Gaia's Ancient Civilizations among others.

Related Posts

An image of the Pyramids at Giza taken by the ESA’s Proba-1 minisatellite. Image Credit: ESA.
Ancient Civilizations

Here’s What the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids Look Like From Space

September 18, 2019 - Updated on February 4, 2025
The oldest Sumerian flood tablet reveals a forgotten deluge story written long before the Bible
Ancient Civilizations

The oldest Sumerian flood tablet reveals a forgotten deluge story written long before the Bible

March 29, 2019 - Updated on May 3, 2025
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Ancient Civilizations

Here’s Why the Underground City of Derinkuyu is a True Ancient Wonder

May 29, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
View of the pyramids of Meroe. Credit: Mosa'ab Elshamy / AP
Ancient Civilizations

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About the Pyramids of Meroe

April 17, 2021 - Updated on January 21, 2024
Avenger Endgame: Thanos’s Gauntlet Inspired by a Catholic Relic
Ancient Civilizations

Avenger Endgame: Thanos’s Gauntlet Inspired by a Catholic Relic

April 30, 2019 - Updated on May 2, 2023
The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, photograph by C. Zangaki ca. 1880. Shutterstock.
Ancient Civilizations

3 Reasons Why the Great Sphinx is the Most Mysterious Monument on Earth

July 31, 2019 - Updated on January 22, 2024
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Fair Use Notice
  • DMCA / Removal
  • Impressum
  • Contact
  • Fact-Checking Policy
  • Ethics Policy
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Impressum
CURIOSMOS.COM

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Unsolved Mysteries
  • Ancient Civilizations
  • Cosmic Phenomena
  • Alien Theories
  • Curious Lists