How were the pyramids built?
This is a tough question. Honestly, the “alien theory” about Egypt wasn’t my first choice to do research—it’s a bit out there. But it popular, so… I saved it for last and decided to investigate it from scratch.
Table of Contents
How were the pyramids built: The Mystery of Egypt and the Alien Theory
To kick things off, I went to YouTube, yes, the mother of scientiphic essays.
Searching for these theories isn’t as easy as it sounds, though.
Most videos out there are titled “Why the Egyptians DID Build the Pyramids,” and their main argument is the famous “bronze chisels” debate. This argument relies heavily on the same ancient papyrus showing people pulling a giant statue with ropes. Yes, Thats it.
The ramps where found in the Nile not in close to the pyrmid or any other monument.
There’s also a theory that questioning whether Egyptians built the pyramids is racist because it implies they couldn’t have done it alone. And somehow, this modern viewpoint ends up supporting the idea that ancient Egyptians did, in fact, build them. A comment according to the scientific method.
So, About the Aliens… Did They Help?
The alien theory, specifically the “ancient astronaut” theory, was popularized by Swiss author Erich von Däniken in his book Chariots of the Gods?. The book became a bestseller, and von Däniken argued that ancient civilizations were aided by technologically advanced aliens. His ideas ruffled feathers, but his theory says that civilizations like Egypt achieved incredible feats with help from visitors beyond Earth.
In Chapter 7 of Chariots of the Gods?, Däniken highlights strange mathematical connections:
- The Pi Proportion: The Great Pyramid’s base divided by twice its height roughly equals 3.1416, or Pi.
- The Earth-Sun Distance: Multiply the pyramid’s height by 1,000 million, and you get a number close to the distance between Earth and the Sun.
- Dividing the Globe: The pyramid stands at a meridian that nearly divides the world’s land and water in half.
Coincidence? Däniken questions how ancient builders could’ve achieved these calculations without advanced tools.
Other quote for the book:
“Several hundred thousand workers pushed and pulled blocks weighing 12 tons up a
(von Däniken, 1968, p. 104)
ramp with (non-existent) ropes on (non-existent) rollers.
This host of workers lived on (non-existent) grain.
They slept in (non-existent) huts which the Pharaoh had built outside his summer
palace.
The workers were urged on by an encouraging ‘Heave-ho’ over a (non-existent)
loudspeaker and so the 12-ton blocks were pushed skywards.”
Who Else Backed the Alien Theory?
Another popular author, J.J. Benítez, a Spanish journalist, has written several books and documentaries exploring these mysteries.
In his documentary “Algo no encaja en la historia”, he points out that the “official” version of events, written by ancient historian Herodotus, only describes Egyptians lifting stones with sticks and ropes. And that pretty much it, regarding historical data.
Benítez highlights mysterious finds like diorite jars (carved from a rock as hard as granite) and other artifacts that don’t seem possible with bronze tools.
The “Canon of Turin” and Egypt’s Semi-Divine Kings
The other clue lies in the Turin Canon, an ancient Egyptian papyrus where a pharaonic dynasty appears that doesn’t match up with the officially recognized line.
This dynasty includes rulers who were said to be part human, part otherworldly, and described as “sons of Horus” who ruled Egypt about 11,000 years ago.
Manetho, an Egyptian priest-historian from 240 BCE, also wrote about the beginnings of Egypt and mentioned that its first rulers were semi-divine beings. So, that’s two ancient sources hinting at Egypt being originally governed by beings who were, quite literally, half-gods.
What comes firts the egg or the pyramids?
Then there’s the discovery of an ostrich egg engraved with three triangles that’s over 7,000 years old—more proof that civilization in the area could go back far beyond the official timeline of 3,000 years.
These triangles even link to the Sphinx, which is officially said to have been built for Pharaoh Khafre around 4,500 years ago because… it’s supposed to look like him.
You might think they tested its age of the Sphinx’s blocks with carbon dating, right? Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but no.
Mysteries in the Stars and the Sphinx
Then there’s geological evidence: erosion marks on the Sphinx that seem to be from rainfall… in the desert. Yes, erosion from rain, which only makes sense if Egypt’s climate was very different, meaning the Sphinx may have been constructed around 12,000 BCE when Northern Africa wasn’t desert. At 4,500 years ago, there wasn’t enough rain to cause such erosion.
Another piece of the puzzle? The alignment of the three Giza pyramids with Orion’s Belt. While some skeptics say the alignment isn’t exact, many others point out that it would have matched Orion’s constellation perfectly about 12,000 years ago. Coincidence?
And there’s more!
Cave paintings of what appear to be chariots have been found in Algeria’s Tassili region, dating back around 9,000 years. There weren’t supposed to be chariots back then—unless someone invented Photoshop way earlier than we thought!
I did a little digging myself and only found vague images, but when I searched specifically for “chariot,” there they were-
Final Thoughts: Is Egypt Older Than We Think?
In the end, the alien theory remains fascinating. There are still so many unexplained mysteries around Egypt’s ancient civilization, and some of them—like the strange connections between Egypt and other distant cultures—keep the theory alive.
Who knows? Maybe Egypt’s secrets go back much further than we’ve imagined.
Thank you for reaching this point! And the last post of the series:
Part 1: Official Theory
Part 2: Casted limestone
Previous Post: Magnetic force
