Were the pyramids built INSIDE OUT? Engineer claims ancient Egyptians built burial chamber first and then worked outwards

  • For centuries it was thought the Egyptians built the pyramids using ramps
  • Means millions of blocks would need to have been carried up the ramps
  • A Newport engineer now claims that this theory is ‘impossible’ 
  • This is because the ramps would need to have been a quarter of a mile long or would have been too steep
  • Claims they laid a core inside the pyramid before adding an outer casing 
  • The top was then finished off using steps and a form of scaffolding

By Victoria Woollaston

PUBLISHED: 12:14 EST, 19 December 2013 | UPDATED: 12:28 EST, 19 December 2013

For centuries it's been thought that the ancient Egyptians built their huge pyramids by hauling heavy granite blocks up specially crafted ramps.

Yet Newport engineer Peter James has branded this ‘impossible’, claiming the ramps would need to have been a quarter of a mile long or else they would have been too steep to carry the large blocks up.

He believes, instead, that the Egyptians built an inner core of zigzagging ramps, using smaller, lighter blocks while the larger outer casing stones were placed on the outside using scaffolding.

A Newport engineer claims the long-held theory that the Egyptians used outer ramps to construct the pyramids is 'impossible'. He believes that the Egyptians built an inner core of zigzagging stairs, using smaller, lighter blocks while the larger outer casing stones were placed on the outside using scaffolding

A Newport engineer claims the long-held theory that the Egyptians used outer ramps to construct the pyramids is 'impossible'. He believes that the Egyptians built an inner core of zigzagging stairs, using smaller, lighter blocks while the larger outer casing stones were placed on the outside using scaffolding

This means the pyramid was built up in layers and the top would have been built using scaffolding on the outside.

Peter James and his company Cintec are experts in construction and have been restoring the Egyptian pyramids for the past 18 years.

 

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Mr James told the MailOnline: ‘Looking at the pyramids from a builder’s point of view, and not an archaeologist’s, it’s clear that the current theories are nonsense.

‘Just look at the numbers. Under the current theories, to lay 2 million blocks, the Egyptians would had to have laid a large block once every three minutes.

HOW WERE THE PYRAMIDS BUILT: CONFLICTING THEORIES

For centuries archaeologies believed that the ancient Egyptians built the huge pyramids by hauling heavy granite blocks up specially crafted ramps. 

Under this theory, to lay 2 million blocks, the Egyptians would had to have laid a large block once every three minutes and it would have taken 100,000 people.

Newport engineer Peter James has branded this ‘impossible’ claiming the ramps would need to have been a quarter of a mile long or else they would have been too steep to carry the large blocks up.

He believes, instead, that the Egyptians built an inner core of zigzagging ramps, using smaller, lighter blocks while the larger outer casing stones were placed on the outside using scaffolding.

Various pyramid ramps

They would have set out the four corners a pyramid, like the four corners of a house. They then would have built four access points in the centre of the pyramid.

Next they would have established where the burial chamber would need to be built, and that would have been built using granite.

Starting from the walls of the burial chamber, the Egyptians could then build ramps using the lighter, smaller rocks in zigzags (pictured above left) around the structure, placing these rocks on top of each other as they went in order to build the pyramid up in layers.

The heavy blocks could then be either pulled up these ramps on sledges, or placed on the outside using scaffolding made from timber and lashings.

This theory builds on the work of French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin who, in 2007, similarly claimed that the pyramids were built from the inside out.

He suggested the ramps would have been built in the centre of the pyramid, or in a spiral 30 to 50ft beneath the outer skin (pictured centre and right).

The scaffolding used by the Egyptians would have been made from timber and lashings and James knows this would have been successful because he used these materials when repairing the pyramids.

‘It would have been impossible to build the pyramids using ramps around the outside, too, because they would have ended up being larger, in some cases, than the pyramids themselves.

‘Plus, what happened to the ramps once the pyramids were finished? I believe the Egyptians built the pyramids like a modern-day builder builds a house.

‘They would have set out the four corners a pyramid, like the four corners of a house. They then would have built four access points in the centre of the pyramid.

‘Next they would have established where the burial chamber would need to be built, and that would have been built using granite.

‘Starting from the walls of the burial chamber, the Egyptians could build ramps using the lighter, smaller rocks in zig-zags around the structure, placing these rocks on top of each other as they go in order to build the pyramid up in layers.

As different pyramids were built, the Egyptians learnt from the construction mistakes made on previous versions to build stronger versions later on. The true pyramids, so called because they were exact pyramid shapes, would have been the culmination of trial and error, according to engineer Peter James

As different pyramids were built, the Egyptians learnt from the construction mistakes made on previous versions to build stronger versions later on. The true pyramids, so called because they were exact pyramid shapes, would have been the culmination of trial and error, according to engineer Peter James

The theory is also supported by the maze-like inner structures of the pyramids. This is the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid of Giza

The theory is also supported by the maze-like inner structures of the pyramids. This is the Grand Gallery of the Great Pyramid of Giza

‘Heavy blocks could then be either pulled up these ramps on sledges, or placed on the outside using scaffolding made from timber and lashings.’

James continued that once the rest of the pyramid was built, the top blocks would had to have been placed from the outside, but would fit together like ‘Lego.’

He also said that he was sure of this theory because when studying the structures he noticed that none of the blocks on the later pyramids were bigger than 30 or 40cm thick.

According to Mr James, as the different pyramids were built from the Step pyramid to the Bent and Red pyramid and finally to the True pyramids, it was clear that the Egyptians were innovators.

‘Really these pyramids show a lot of innovation of how [the Egyptians] overcame problems, and how they resolved them in the next pyramid.'

He was inspired by this alternative theory when he was asked to look again at the Step pyramid after the burial chamber had collapsed.

‘People believe the Egyptians built this as a stairway to the heavens and to the gods, but it’s more simple than that.

On timber and lashing scaffolding, the Egyptians would not have wanted to go higher than 10 metres at a time, so they built 10 metres, took a step inwards and built another 10 metres. It’s not symbolic, it’s practical.'

Whichever method was used, on these different pyramids, it would still have been a substantial job.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, for example, is believed to have been 481ft tall when it was built but has sunk slightly and is now around 455ft tall. The base is said to cover 756ft.

Originally, Giza, pictured, and other pyramids would have been covered by casing stones. This would have given them a smooth outer surface, yet this is missing from the current structure and all that remains is the underlying core. James believes the larger stones would have crumbled because of 4,000 years of heat exposure

Originally, Giza, pictured, and other pyramids would have been covered by casing stones. This would have given them a smooth outer surface, yet this is missing from the current structure and all that remains is the underlying core. James believes the larger stones would have crumbled because of 4,000 years of heat exposure

MYSTERY OF THE OUTER CASING

Outer casing stone

Originally, Giza and other pyramids would have been covered by casing stones. This would have given it a smooth outer surface, yet this is missing from the current structure and all that remains is the underlying core.

‘Some locals claim that these stones were stolen, but I can’t see anyone wanting to climb that high to do that,’ said Peter James.

‘Archaeologists claim that the pyramid casing fell off, especially on the bent pyramid, because of the foundations. But it’s not that either. Not at all.

‘It’s a simple temperature problem. The outer blocks heat up to 40 and 50 degrees during the day and at night it cools to 4 or 5 degrees.

‘When limestone heats up, it expands and it never goes back to where it starts. This would have caused the casing and the structure to warp and bend meaning the problem was all over the pyramid, so it couldn’t be foundations.

Originally, Giza and other pyramids would have been covered by casing stones. This would have given it a smooth outer surface, yet these are missing from the current structure and all that remains is the underlying core.

‘Some locals claim that these stones were stolen, but I can’t see anyone wanting to climb that high to do that,’ continued James.

‘Archaeologists claim that the pyramid casing fell off, especially on the bent pyramid, because of the foundations. But it’s not that either. Not at all.

‘It’s a simple temperature problem. The outer blocks heat up to 40 and 50 degrees during the day and at night it cools to 4 or 5 degrees.

‘When limestone heats up, it expands and it never goes back to where it starts. This would have caused the casing and the structure to warp and bend meaning the problem was all over the pyramid, so it couldn’t be foundations.

'And after 4,000 years, that’s a lot of expanding and movement. There’s a builder’s story to be told here. Not an academic one.’

The reason Egyptian chose the pyramid shape is believed to stem back to the Egyptian sun god Ra.

Ra was said to have created himself from a pyramid-shaped mound of earth before he created all other gods. 

The shape is also thought to be symbolic of the sun’s rays and they were usually placed on the western side of the Nile so the pharaoh’s soul could join the sun as set. 

James’ theory supports that suggested by French architect Jean-Pierre Houdin in 2007. Like James, Houdin began working on the riddle and quickly found flaws in the two existing theories.

He claimed the ramp must have been a spiral 30-50ft beneath the outer skin.

He added that his theory could be proved by radars and heat detecting cameras as the ramp had to remain inside the finished structure.

The two theories mean that that 4,000 people could have built the pyramid using the techniques outlined - rather than previous estimates of around 100,000.


 

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Trying to understand those yellow and white sketches makes my eyes cross and water, so I don't understand the theory. But I don't see how it would be possible to build them from the outside in or from the top to bottom, so it must be from bottom to top and inside to out. The new thing mentioned here is the smaller, lighter stones on the inside. That should be easy enough to determine. Of course, I know nothing about pyramids other than their shape that they are huge.

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Yet another nonsense theory.

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with jobs like this in the past, the pharaohs, emperors of rome had all the manpower they wanted, slaves etc, the answer to how the dynasties of the past built these structures is probably staring us in the face, a simple simple method that no one yet has the nerve to look at because they don't want to look like a prat....concrete and cement isn't a new invention neither, it would make perfect send to use sand and cement, lets face it Egypt is full of the stuff, its hardly expensive is it...one day we will find out the pyramids were a build that any old builder could have constructed, in the same way we build viaducts across mountains and skyscrapers our ancestors built as good and better builds, they did because they are still here...will your £250k barratt home still be around in 500 years ??? NOOOOOO

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Ancient Egyptians didn't use slaves for building, they did have them, usually prisoners of war, but on no great scale.

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We will never know, so why are all of these educated people wasting time on this and use it for something more important?

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Makes a lot of sense actually...

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I don't know how they were built. If I were to attempt such a feat, I would find a way to pour the granite into place with molds. That would probably involve some kind of cement chemistry that we are now not aware of. The other way involves extremely high temperatures to make the granite into a liquid then pour them into place. This would explain the extremely fine tolerances found in these structures. Doing it from the inside first and then adding on makes a lot of sense. The extreme amount of weight is the key. Weight changes when something becomes very hot. We are dealing with a climate that would make this possible. Using water as a conduit for this engineering might be the case. What ever they used they had to bring enormous amounts of mass in those stones. That is why I would go with the easy way rather than any kind of complicated way of putting it together. Someone convinced fairly intelligent people to believe that they could preserve a body and re-animate it at future time.

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Actually, it was built for the "Top-Down". Anyone can see that.

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it would make sense...

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well I am going there next week so I will check out this theory!

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so using ramps instead of ramps then - just making the ramps go round corners does not lessen it's rampness, all the short ramps he implies would be way too steep to be practical. Of course the whole building would be built from the inside out, even today you would build a house cellar before the house, except perhaps in Mayfair.

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