One of the world’s most recognizable structures and the only standing of the Eight Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza is a historical natural limestone project of massive proportions and monumental insight into the design and engineering feats of Ancient Egypt. Today, we will discuss the facts and opinions surrounding how the Great Pyramid of Giza was created.
The biggest of three large pyramids on the Giza Plateau along the west bank of the Nile River just outside of Cairo, the Great Pyramid of Giza has commanded a large portion of the attention of archaeologists and engineers alike.
Consisting of an estimated 2.3 million natural limestone blocks, the Great Pyramid of Giza covers over thirteen acres of land, with each side measuring 760 feet and rising to a peak of 460 feet tall. It is estimated that this massive project was built ranging anywhere from ten to twenty years, and as many as 50,000 people could have worked on the project.
While the pyramid rose at an angle of nearly 52 degrees, the means and methods behind this monolithic undertaking have been argued since it was first discovered.
There has been much debate concerning the techniques used by ancient Egyptians to quarry, cut and dress rough-quarried natural stone for use in masonry. There have been no remnants of the drilling equipment or saws recovered, leaving all of us to only guess about the ancients’ drilling and sawing techniques.
However, we do know natural limestone quarried from the immediate area was the building material of choice for the Great Pyramid’s exterior façade. The builders designed the pyramid to have 210 horizontal layers of limestone. The underlying natural limestone blocks of the pyramid, what is primarily in visible decay today, averaged 2.5 tons per block. While the limestone blocks at the bottom of the pyramid were larger (approximately 6.5 to 10 tons), the size of the limestone blocks got smaller as the pyramid rose taller.
Finally, the Great Pyramid of Giza (as well as the surrounding pyramids on the Giza Plateau) was originally finished with Casing Blocks. These blocks were quarried from another region on the other side of the Nile. The limestone was notable finer, and the fifty-two degree angle was carved into these blocks, offering a highly-polished, white limestone pyramid that would stand as the largest man made structure for over 3,800 years.
Nearly all of the casing blocks have been stripped away over time, quarried from the pyramid to be used in construction projects in nearby towns. The Great Pyramid’s core masonry is now exposed to the elements and littered with huge divots and gashes, and the top is also missing, leaving a small platform about thirty feet square at the summit.
Nevertheless, the Great Pyramid of Giza remains the only Wonder of the World still standing and a constant basis of controversy when debating ancient design and engineering. More over, the Great Pyramid should remind us of the sustainability and versatility of natural stone usage in construction today. A product made of the earth will help maintain your project for the long haul!
The Great Pyramid
The biggest of three large pyramids on the Giza Plateau along the west bank of the Nile River just outside of Cairo, the Great Pyramid of Giza has commanded a large portion of the attention of archaeologists and engineers alike.
Consisting of an estimated 2.3 million natural limestone blocks, the Great Pyramid of Giza covers over thirteen acres of land, with each side measuring 760 feet and rising to a peak of 460 feet tall. It is estimated that this massive project was built ranging anywhere from ten to twenty years, and as many as 50,000 people could have worked on the project.
While the pyramid rose at an angle of nearly 52 degrees, the means and methods behind this monolithic undertaking have been argued since it was first discovered.
The Stone
There has been much debate concerning the techniques used by ancient Egyptians to quarry, cut and dress rough-quarried natural stone for use in masonry. There have been no remnants of the drilling equipment or saws recovered, leaving all of us to only guess about the ancients’ drilling and sawing techniques.
However, we do know natural limestone quarried from the immediate area was the building material of choice for the Great Pyramid’s exterior façade. The builders designed the pyramid to have 210 horizontal layers of limestone. The underlying natural limestone blocks of the pyramid, what is primarily in visible decay today, averaged 2.5 tons per block. While the limestone blocks at the bottom of the pyramid were larger (approximately 6.5 to 10 tons), the size of the limestone blocks got smaller as the pyramid rose taller.
Finally, the Great Pyramid of Giza (as well as the surrounding pyramids on the Giza Plateau) was originally finished with Casing Blocks. These blocks were quarried from another region on the other side of the Nile. The limestone was notable finer, and the fifty-two degree angle was carved into these blocks, offering a highly-polished, white limestone pyramid that would stand as the largest man made structure for over 3,800 years.
Nearly all of the casing blocks have been stripped away over time, quarried from the pyramid to be used in construction projects in nearby towns. The Great Pyramid’s core masonry is now exposed to the elements and littered with huge divots and gashes, and the top is also missing, leaving a small platform about thirty feet square at the summit.
Nevertheless, the Great Pyramid of Giza remains the only Wonder of the World still standing and a constant basis of controversy when debating ancient design and engineering. More over, the Great Pyramid should remind us of the sustainability and versatility of natural stone usage in construction today. A product made of the earth will help maintain your project for the long haul!
