How the Egyptian Pyramids Were Built: A New Theory in 3D Animation

Jean-Pierre Houdin spent a couple of decades working as an independent architect around Paris. Then, his career took a big turn. Working with his father, Houdin tried to crack an ancient mystery — how were the great pyramids of Egypt built?

Throughout the centuries, various theories have been put forth. Herodotus, who visited Egypt around 450 B.C., speculated that some “machines” were involved. Others thought that mounds serving as ramps played a central role in the construction. And still others have guessed that extraterrestrials were the real builders (seriously).

Now Houdin enters into the debate with what Egyptologist Bob Brier calls a “radical new theory.” Using state-of-the-art 3-D software, Houdin has concluded that the bottom portion of the pyramids were built with an external ramp, and the upper portions with internal ramps. Brier summarizes the theory rather well in this short article.

Houdin’s work has focused particularly on the Great Pyramid of Giza, otherwise known as the Pyramid of Khufu, built circa 2500 B.C. (See image here). And he has gone so far as to create a 3D interactive film that visually documents his hypothesis. We’ve embedded a good clip above. You can also head to Khufu Reborn to get the full interactive experience. (Note: You’ll need a PC, 3D glasses and some downloadable plugins to make it all work.)


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  1. Remi says . . . | August 1, 2011 / 6:34 am

    Hey Dan!

    Nice article you wrote! I wanted to point out that there’s a new video for that topic here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SSj0lWJNSc

    Best,

    Rémi

  2. Charles Frith says . . . | August 1, 2011 / 8:36 am

    Not buying the harmonics theory?

  3. Archie Quinn says . . . | August 2, 2011 / 2:14 pm

    Just another theory, this guy actually worked it out in simple physics and can be reproduced without vast numbers of people

  4. Brian Joffin says . . . | September 8, 2011 / 10:07 pm

    Ok if this is true then let’s see it built! I think you’ll find it fails! Understanding the achievement of the Pyramids requires an understanding that human beings and the earth evolve and have had different capabilities through the eons..

  5. ALF says . . . | February 11, 2012 / 10:29 am

    Yes this is how they did it. This and aliens.

  6. Merovetyt says . . . | February 27, 2012 / 3:44 pm

    Let’s say it’s Wednesday. You go back in time to Tuesday and place a block on the ground. You then go back to Monday and place a block on the ground in the exact same place. That is what happened.

  7. Petros Petrosyan says . . . | March 6, 2012 / 9:19 am

    Hi

    I’m Petros Petrosyan.
    I now live in Chicago.

    Attention please!

    1. The pyramid is not a sepulcher of Pharaoh and the purpose of its construction was not on this plane.
    2. The huge volume of the information is ciphered with use of the geometrical form of a pyramid.
    3. The basic model of the Pyramid cipher was established.
    The basic model of the code of a pyramid is formed of 365 small pyramids which consist at 14 steps of model of the code.

    Pyramid is ciphered message, It is simply improbable.

    Please Go to: http://www.world-mysteries.com/pex_PPetrosyan1.htm

    Full Article: http://files.mail.ru/H5RKPO ;

    Thanks, Petros M.Petrosyan

  8. earl says . . . | April 21, 2012 / 9:30 am

    could the pyramids have been built to protect people from solar flares prior to the erosion of thus they were covered in a reflective layer and this show i was watching stated that the pyramids protected a hand full of egytians from a solar flare and with the longevity of there existance could point toward the fact that aside from a profatic use the pyramids could have been built in an effort to ensure the survival of futur generations

  9. lala brown says . . . | May 17, 2012 / 8:34 am

    DIS WEB PAGE IS WACK ! BRO LIKE FOR REAL THOUU ! *

  10. Theo J says . . . | August 16, 2012 / 2:11 pm

    Brian – We have barely evolved since the upper paleolithic (14,000 years ago). If an ancient egyptian baby was born now then he/she would have probably as much capability at computer science when it grew up as we do now.

  11. Dan Colman says . . . | February 10, 2013 / 1:19 pm

    A quick question from the editor. Can anyone tell us which Facebook page just mentioned this post?

    Thanks in advance,
    Dan

  12. Pamela Ridings says . . . | February 10, 2013 / 2:25 pm

    Awsome , I,m always looking at this stuff

  13. Bruno says . . . | February 10, 2013 / 3:48 pm

    Oh well kids, stop talking about Aliens, it’s always aliens aliens aliens aliens with you, shut up.

    In the pyramide years, Villagers had nothing better to do than build, farm, eat and sleep.

    There’s 24hours a day, it always been like that, Earth haven’t changed since this time. So, what do you do when you’re not sleeping? First years of your life you can play and learn, when you become an adult, what do you do? You’re not having fun playing anymore and you can’t have fun with TV and work 8hours a day for you paid…

    That’s probably why they were building pyramids, they had time for it, and it’s kinda gratifiant to know that you have build this.

    If you had to this a pharaon which could be compared to a dictator and an idiot with a book saying ”If you don’t do that the gods will kill you” like Christians and Muslims…

    There’s no reason to look over space.

  14. Missing Link says . . . | February 11, 2013 / 10:44 am

    Clearly the videos author is an alien. Seriously, Jesus built the pyramids. Everyone knows that. Duh.

  15. Henk koens says . . . | March 12, 2013 / 2:31 pm

    Hey Dan, good article.

    I admire the work of mr. Houdin but it is very sophisticated.

    There is another and more simple investigation, interesting to know.
    See next link:

    http://www.scribd.com/doc/101327184/The-Great-Pyramid-built-with-Rolling-Stones

  16. Christoph Messner says . . . | April 8, 2013 / 2:57 pm

    The pyramid blocks were cast out of limestone, lime and diatomaceous earth.

  17. Craig says . . . | April 24, 2013 / 7:25 am

    Hi Dan, just fyi, the image you linked to in the article for the Great Pyramid is actually a photo of Khafre’s Pyramid, the middle of three on the Giza Necropolis.

  18. Edie says . . . | April 24, 2013 / 9:45 am

    What a feat! They were studs. Amazing to theorize on how this was done!

  19. Matthew says . . . | April 24, 2013 / 9:49 am

    Truly fascinating, but the pyramids weren’t just built by “workers”. They were built by slaves. To not call them as such is disrespectful to the long, rich history of the Jewish people. That said, I’m fully aware that social justice is not the point of this video.

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