Two Theories behind the Construction of the Pyramids of Giza
Introduction
The Egyptian empire which has been identified to have developed over the last three millennia BCE (Sayre, 2012), is known for several contributions to modern society to include: a formal irrigation system, a form of writing called hieroglyphics, their art and their architecture. The most significant of architectural structures are the Great Pyramids. The basis of the pyramid was the mastaba or mortuary compartment that was customary during the First Dynasty (Ruiz, 2001). Although the Egyptians were architectural geniuses when it came to the Great Pyramids, they did not put the same time and durability into the ...view middle of the document...
Therefore today’s aerologists, architects, engineers and historians base their books, journal articles and other documentation off of information that has been gathered through research, through the use modern technology, through the gathering artifacts from original pyramid sites and creating theories.
The number of theories surrounding the actual construction of the Great Pyramids of Giza is countless. It seems the only points that everyone agrees on is the fact that the pyramids were built as burial monuments for pharaohs (Sayre, 2012). Two theories about the construction of the Great Pyramids that continues to be debated is the amount of time and the number of workers used to build these massive structures as well as the type of labor force used (Brier & Hobbs, 2008).
Theory 1: The amount of time and the number of people needed to construct the pyramids
There are a number of theories surrounding the number of people needed and the amount of time it would have required for the Great Pyramids to have been constructed based on the tools the Egyptians could have used, the size of each pyramid, the weight and size of each piece of construction material needed and used and the location of each pyramid. One main theory suggested by archaeologists is that it took 25,000 workers about 20 years to build the Great Pyramids and another theory suggests that about 10,000 workers could have built the Great Pyramids in about one year. Most archaeologists believe that about 25,000 workers spent about 20 years to build the Great Pyramid (or Khufu ’s Pyramid) at Giza in Egypt over 4,500 years ago (Fonte, 2007). But, by closely examining the clues and relics left behind, and by assuming that the Egyptians were intelligent and creative, it is found (conservatively) that about 10,000 workers could have built the Great Pyramid in about 346 days. However, there is evidence that 4,000 workers were used (Fonte, 2007). A third theory suggests the same 10,000 workers would have constructed the Great Pyramids in six years. And by using a relaxed production schedule, a value of four to six calendar years is probably a more reasonable estimate (Fonte, 2007).
Based on research conducted by Engineers, they concluded that the Great Pyramids were constructed by approximately 4,000 workers in a time frame of about four to six years. The primary goal of this research was to show that the Great Pyramids could be built in much less time than is currently accepted. Naturally, it is believed that this goal has been satisfied with the evidence presented. Using very conservative measurements it was found that about 4000 workers could have built the Great Pyramids in about four to six years, working at a leisurely pace. These methods are eminently feasible and attainable with the technology known to exist at the time (Fonte, 2007). The conclusion drawn by the Engineers took into consideration artifacts, tools that would have been used based off of the artifacts found, and...
