# What is the most current and sensible theory of how the ancient Egyptians built their pyramids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2014, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170 "2014-09-22T07:15:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170/21 "2014-09-23T16:09:37Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > it was aliens No. This is a false answer. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170/22 "2014-09-23T17:09:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No. This is a false answer. Then convincingly falsify the hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![Polar\_Iceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Polar\_Iceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polar_Iceman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170/23 "2014-09-23T23:24:50Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > C’mon, man, just tell us how you think it _really_ happened. I have no idea how it happened. If I had the answers to those questions, I would not be asking the questions. Obviously, from the fact that this topic is still widely discussed, nobody else has the answers either. However, I would be very interested in your answers to the questions I asked. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170/24 "2014-09-24T15:56:17Z")
> [@Polar\_Iceman](#): > > I have no idea how it happened. > If I had the answers to those questions, I would not be asking the questions. > Obviously, from the fact that this topic is still widely discussed, nobody else has the answers either. > However, I would be very interested in your answers to the questions I asked. Exactly. We can say - based on the appearance, it’s unlikely it was done this way or that way… But we have no definite answers. For example - if they built large construction tunnels through the interior, several blocks wide - how come we can’t see the entrances and the brick/blockwork that would indicated a wide-spanned roof? -if they used giant ramps up one side, why isn’t there a pyramid-sized pile of sand and mud in the area? (Even 2000 years ago, Herodotus does not mention this anywhere in the area…) Moving huge amounts of earth simply as clean-up would be expensive, the shorter distance the better. -the diagram of a giant statue being hauled by sled on wet sand - shows one way they did things. -in building a 50-foot wall 1000 years later at Karnak, they still used a mud ramp instead of cranes. Nothing is proof, and we may yes still uncover some surprises; there’s a lot possibly buried under the sands. But some answers are less likely than others. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170/25 "2014-09-24T17:00:29Z")
What I find amusing is that the Egyptians thought it so obvious how you build a 450ft tall pyramid that they didn’t bother to write it down. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170/26 "2014-09-24T17:17:04Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > What I find amusing is that the Egyptians thought it so obvious how you build a 450ft tall pyramid that they didn’t bother to write it down. Even more so, for burial chambers for a (ex)living god, the rooms are pretty stark and empty. The only one with any hieroglyphics was in the tiny pyramid of Pepi which is now just a pile of rubble on top. Obviously, the goods were cleaned out millennia ago, but nobody would have taken the wall carvings. We have no idea what sort of treasures were buried with the guy who built one of the wonders of the world. (Although, IIRC, they did find some furniture in the tiny Mother-in-Law-suite pyramid off to one side. Similarly, you can Google for the “Solar Boat” buried as an Ikea kit - assembly required - 4500 years ago. There are actually two of them (so far). Again, virtually no decoration. Much of the pretty hieroglyphics were know of come from the New Kingdom, 1400 BC give or take, or the Ptolemy era before the Roman conquest. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-current-and-sensible-theory-of-how-the-ancient-egyptians-built-their-pyramids/699170.md?page=1)