A bit wider, though. The crews were almost certainly not carrying huge blocks on their shoulders but using some sort of transport system. Most often, you see them depicted using logs, but it is entirely conceivable that they knew how to build hefty carts for the purpose. In that case, the ramps would have to be wider than two carts to allow the descending crews to pass the ascending crews with their transport equipment.
Again, it is not inconceivable to imagine that they could work all this out and make it happen. The ancient Egyptians were at least as smart as modern humans – probably smarter, since they were not subjected to television/internet mind-rot. It is just plain offensive to be saying they were not as smart as we are.
Also, there is the matter of the thing hat happened at the Library. We know little of what was in it, but it might have had accounts of the construction.
They could have built two ramps; a shallow one to haul heavy stones up the pyramid, and a steeper one to allow men and equipment back down. That would probably use less material than a shallow ramp of double the width.
Like, a slide?
The wheel had not been invented yet when they built the pyramids. That’s why the blocks are usually depicted on rollers.
I think if we’re at the point of discussing Ancient Aliens helping with the pyramids, any ahistorical wheels are small potatoes for such a discussion. 
It looks like evidence of wheels predates the estimated construction of the great pyramid by centuries. All they really had to do is devise some form of axle for the logs: once they managed that, they could build a conveyor system which would eliminate the need for workers to ascend with the blocks and could be extended as the edifice rose. All itwould have taken is one person who had been in a place where wheeled transport was in use to convey the notion of wheels and/or axles to the engineers, who surely would have put it into practice.
Hmm, you’re right. But I don’t think there’s any evidence they used wheels in Egypt when the pyramids were being built.
Am I correct in thinking this is an area that has a lot of sand? If so, how hard would it be to drag the blocks on the sand?
I was thinking of stairs for the people, and a ramp for the wagons. You could tie a rope to the wagon, wrap it around a post at the top of the ramp, and by easing the friction of the wrap you lower the wagon down the ramp.
They also had health insurance. If a worker was sick or injured, a doctor (or what passed for one) would make a house call, free of charge. The oldest known instance of something resembling universal health care.
Wheels for a cart or chariot are one thing. Wheels for transporting giant stone blocks likely to snap any axle they use are another thing. Rollers make more sense.
Maybe that was your reward after hauling a two and a half ton block up the ramp. Everybody would crowd onto the sledge and ride it down.
WHEEEEEE!
In terms of two-ton blocks of stone, I find it difficult to imagine it being easier to drag them over sand. It is about the same consistency as mud, but drier.
Giza is right on the edge of the Nile floodplain, which is a major reason for a lot of people living there. And a non-small fraction of the Sahara is not sand but reg. It is mostly like a big parking lot. I am not sure what the Giza neighborhood looks like, but “a lot of sand” may be a bit of an overstatement.
It’s really not. A lot looks rocky but plenty of sand. I recall reading sand drifts had completely covered the Sphinx when modern archeologists examined it.
IIRC one concept was that the sand was piled up higher under the front of the stone and workers would keep piling more sand in front of the stone as it was pulled. This was supposed to allow the stone to be pulled without great effort yet not roll backwards. Workers would probably have a bucket brigade to bring sand left behind the stone to the front as it moved. I don’t recall is any testing was done under realistic conditions.
Also, there is a lot of discussion about a ramp that would it’s way up around the sides of the growing pyramid so the slope could be relatively mild without extending the ramp far away from the growing pyramid. The winding ramp was built on the pyramid stones as it went up so not requiring a million yards of ramp material piled up in front of the pyramid.
I might have missed it, but I don’t see anyone in this thread saying that. And in any case, it doesn’t require brains to drag a 2 ton block across the sand. I’m sure it was just a case of trial and error in figuring out the best way to stack big blocks. Something makes me think that if the had conjured up something super clever or something they were proud of, there would have been drawings/carvings of it. I bet it was just brute force and coordination.
I’m having trouble seeing the benefit of this method.
I don’t remember the details. My impression was the stone sliding over a thin layer of sand would maximize the friction to overcome over the entire bottom surface of the stone, not much different than dragging it across a hard surface. Instead friction would mostly occur between the front of the stone on the thicker and more fluid pile of sand in front and some additionally as the back edge of the stone was dragged along. At the time I got the impression it was similar to a stone being surfed on a wave of sand.
Like this?:
I mostly dislike AI, but DAMN. It’s the smile in the front that sells it.
I was going to post a real photo, but it was slightly out of focus. 