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Why The Pyramids Spawn Whacky Theories 59

Why the Pyramids Spawn twisted," Phillips said.
Other civilizations at the time were also
So Many Wacky Theories building impressive structures, including the

ziggurat temples of Mesopotamia. And
Egyptians built more than pyramids, Phillips
By Stephanie Pappas
said. They also built temples, houses and all
sorts of structures, he said.
"Architecture and building was a major
One time GOP presidential candidate Ben element of the development of Egyptian
Carson stands by an odd theory he floated at a civilization, and therefore the people who did
commencement address: that the Egyptian the building, the actual architects, were very
pyramids are not pharaohs' tombs, but ancient
good mathematicians," Phillips said.
grain silos built by the biblical Joseph. The 1998
claim seems out of left field, but actually goes
Clear records
way back — to at least the sixth century.
Indeed, though the pyramids are some of million and a half cubic yards in volume … "
the most well-researched ancient structures in More recently, people who are unable to Along with the copious evidence that ancient
Egyptians built the pyramids without foreign (or
the world, they have a long-standing tendency to believe that ancient Egyptians engineered such alien) help, there are writings that clearly
attract crackpot theories. Over the centuries, massive structures as the pyramids have turned
to another explanation: aliens. In his remarks in explain why the Egyptians did so. As the editors
people have argued that the pyramids were the of "The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts" (Brill,
work of everyone from Noah (of Noah's ark) to 1998, Carson erroneously attributed this belief 2005) explain, the pyramids came with what
architecturally gifted aliens. Like Carson, these to scientists, saying, "[V]arious of scientists were essentially instruction manuals.
people ignore massive amounts of contemporary have said, 'Well, you know, there were alien "At the end of the Old Kingdom, the
evidence about the pyramids. beings that came down, and they have special walls of the inner chambers and corridors of
"In terms of direct evidence, he's off the knowledge and that's how —"
wall," Jim Phillips, the curator of Egypt at In fact, the "aliens built the pyramids" ancient Egyptian pyramids were inscribed with a
series of ritual and magical spells," the authors
Chicago's Field Museum, told Live Science, claims are the domain of conspiracy theorists, write in the book's introduction. These
speaking about Carson's notions. There's no not archaeologists. And contrary to the notion
that humans couldn't have built the pyramids inscriptions outlined ancient Egyptian religious
debate about the pyramids or their purpose, belief as well as instructions on how to ensure a
Phillips said. alone, scientists from a variety of fields have
come up with plenty of ideas for how the ancient safe trip to the afterlife for the deceased person.
Strange theories Egyptians accomplished the feat. Writing in a And though the pyramids of Giza were
2014 study in the journal Physical Review looted in antiquity, enough writing remains that
Letters, for example, researchers described how researchers know exactly which pharaohs
The idea that the Biblical figure Joseph built the occupied each tomb. Their names were Khufu,
people could have lugged the enormous building
pyramids to store grain didn't originate with Khafre and Menkaure. Each ruled during
blocks of the pyramids long distances by wetting
Carson. It's an old notion, going back at least to Egypt's fourth dynasty, which lasted from 2613
the sand in front of their sledges, reducing
the sixth-century historian Gregory of Tours,
friction. B.C. to 2494 B.C. These pharaohs' tombs were
who identified the pyramids as Joseph's built centuries before the time of the biblical
There is still some debate, however,
granaries in the volume "The History of the Joseph.
about how ancient workers lifted these blocks
Franks," describing them as structures of And though the pyramids of Giza were
from ground level to the top of the pyramids; the
"squared stone and rubble." looted in antiquity, enough writing remains that
tallest of the pyramids at Giza was 481 feet
"They are wide at the base and narrow at researchers know exactly which pharaohs
(146.5 meters) high. However, archaeologists
the top in order that wheat might be cast into occupied each tomb. Their names were Khufu,
have found evidence of giant earthen ramps that
them through a tiny opening, and these granaries Khafre and Menkaure. Each ruled during
would have been used to access the upper levels
are to be seen at the present day," Gregory Egypt's fourth dynasty, which lasted from 2613
of the pyramids. Near Giza's Great Pyramid,
wrote.
Egyptologists uncovered the remnants of a ramp B.C. to 2494 B.C. These pharaohs' tombs were
The granary idea fell out of favor in the built centuries before the time of the biblical
made of limestone chips, gypsum and clay.
Middle Ages, though, as European travelers Joseph.
"The ramp would have leaned against
visited Egypt and saw firsthand that the It's even clear who built the structures.
the pyramid's faces as they rose, somewhat like
pyramids are not hollow, author Jason Colavito Inside the pyramids are inscriptions of names,
accretion layers wrapped around the pyramid
wrote in a blog post on the history of these listing the gangs of people who worked on the
with a roadway on top," wrote Egyptologists
claims. tombs, Phillips said. Egyptologists have found
Zahi Hawass and Rainer Stadelmann in a 1998
But the desire to situate the pyramids in the builders' work camps: semipermanent
volume. "The weight of this ramp was borne by
a Christian context persisted. The 1884 villages set up near the construction sites.
the ground around the pyramid. Traffic could
Proceedings of the American Meteorological
move along the top of this structure as both The only explanation for the persistent
Society mentioned an 1859 book by John Taylor, myths about the pyramids is that faith trumps
pyramid and ramp rose in tandem. The top of the
"The Great Pyramid: Why Was It Built? And facts, Phillips said.
pyramid could be reached with only one and
Who Built It?" which claimed that the biblical "Misinterpretations of the Bible and
one-quarter turns."
Noah directed the largest pyramid's what's written in the Bible are ubiquitous," he
People who spin conspiracy theories
construction. The Society's response to this idea said. And once those beliefs take hold, they're
about the pyramids tend to suggest the structures
was dismissive, to say the least: hard to dislodge, Phillips said.
came out of nowhere. But ancient Egypt was an
"There seems to be something bordering "If you're taught to believe," he said, "it's
advanced society, whose people had been
on the ludicrous in the ascription to a man very difficult not to." []
building structures for centuries before
situated as Noah was at that time — a man just
constructing the pyramids at Giza. The first
escaped from a catastrophe so frightful as the
tomb structures were built by at least the First
destruction of the whole human race, his own
Dynasty, around 2700 B.C. Over time, these
immediate family only excepted — there is
structures became more complex, evolving into
something approaching sublimity in the
step pyramids and finally the smooth-sided
absurdity of ascribing to a man in circumstances
pyramids seen on the Giza plateau. Mistakes
so forlorn — left companionless, helpless,
were made. The "Bent Pyramid" in Dahshur is a
almost alone, to begin anew the battle of life
structure with two different angles — a 54-
amid the wreck of a ruined world — a project so
degree inclination at the base and a 43-degree
wild, so cyclopean, so almost stupidly idiotic, as
inclination farther up.
that of heaping up a pile of massive rock a
"They screwed up the angle, so it's