<HTML>Sneferu, who was Khufu's father, built three enormous pyramids, and Khufu's son Khafre built a pyramid that is almost as big as Khufu's, the largest ever built in Egypt. They all have a similar type of construction using large limestone blocks for the core masonry. Khufu's pyramid differs from the others, in the arrangement of the interior spaces high up in the superstructure of the pyramid, although a small satellite pyramid, part of the royal mortuary complex at Dahshur south, has a similar design.
These other pyramids were probably built by hauling the stone blocks up a main ramp or ramps.
For Khufu's pyramid, the largest core blocks are found on the two lowest courses and weigh approx. 8 tons each. The 35th course is also exceptional with blocks weighing 5 tons. The 35th course, 30m above the base may have been singled out with a higher than normal layer of blocks, as this represents the level where half the theoretical volume of the pyramid had been reached. The casing stones for the first two courses and the 35th course weigh 10 - 15 tons. (Petrie noticed that a higher course begins at each fifth of the whole height of the pyramid)
The majority of core blocks however weigh less than a ton and at the highest levels weigh approx. half a ton.
The major complication with Khufu's pyramid was the construction of the main chamber high up in the superstructure where large granite blocks were used. About 40 massive blocks for the construction over the upper chamber, were raised up to a height of 75 m (246ft). These blocks weigh 20 - 40 tons each. One of the largest known blocks in the pyramid, one of the nine granite ceiling beams for the upper chamber, is 2m high x 1.6m wide, and approx. 8m long, weighs approx. 70 tons and was raised to a height of 50m (164ft) above the base of the pyramid.
These 50 or so large heavy blocks are 3x - 5 x longer than they are wide, and would have presented an enormous challenge to the builders with many hundreds of men needed to haul and lever them up to the required level. An alternative method was to have 'jacked' up these large blocks, course by course, using long levers and wedges. These very heavy blocks represent only a very small fraction of the overall number of stone blocks used in the construction of the pyramid.
- If Khufu's pyramid was successfully built using water, then why didn't they use the same method to build his son's pyramid that was of comparable size.
- Have you done any logistical calculations of the rate at which the stone blocks can be raised and placed into position in the way you describe. Khufu's reign lasted 20 - 32 years, so an average of 250 - 400 cubic metres (500 - 800 tons) of material would have been raised up and manouvered into position daily.
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