Jean-Pierre Houdin’s theory of how the Great Pyramid of Khufu was built is unique not only in that he explains how this engineering marvel was accomplished, he shows how the architecture itself gives up these secrets. Nowhere is this more evident than in his explanation of how the Grand Gallery served as the mechanism for constructing the King’s Chamber.
The burial room of Pharaoh Khufu required that his Overseer of Royal Projects, the great architect and engineer Hemienu, transport massive beams of granite, some of which weighed in excess of 60 tons, more than 60 meters above the pyramid’s foundation. With each successive course of blocks his workspace became more confined, the uphill drag became longer, and the placement became more precise. Where did the energy required for this undertaking come from?
In Phase One we looked at how two thirds of the pyramid and all of its internal structures below the King’s Chamber were constructed with a ramp that reached less than one third of its height. In Phase Two we will look at how the King’s Chamber and its related architecture were built using this same ramp, as well as some innovations in design and methodology that included scaffolding, an elevator, and a powerful tractor, all of which were integrated into the architecture itself, and all of which used tools and principles known to be in existence during Hemienu’s time.
We will devote this current article to explaining exactly what it was Hemienu was building in Phase Two.
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Tags: Corbelling, Grand Gallery, Hemienu, Jean-Pierre Houdin, Khufu, Khufu's Pyramid, Khufu's Sarcophagus, King's Chamber, Menkaure's Pyramid, Pyramid Shafts, Queen's Chamber, Red Pyramid, Relieving Compartments, The Great Pyramid, Tools
Ok, I realize that most of my posts have been about Dr. Hawass this week, and I promise the article on the Djoser Pyramid complex is nearing completion. But one does have to wonder why he might have a lovely new 
For starters, it’s a large four-sided structure made of stone, wide at the bottom and pointy at the top, making a perfect triangle. 
