A new study suggests the Great Pyramid of Giza was built using a helical ramp constructed directly into the pyramid’s outer face rather than a massive external ramp. Researcher Vicente Luis Rosell Roig tested his Integrated Edge Ramp model through mathematical simulation, proposing that the ramp was later filled in once construction was complete. This approach, he argues, would avoid the need for vast quantities of additional building material and explain the lack of clear archaeological remains of a traditional external ramp.

Built around 2560 Before Common Era as the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu, the pyramid contains about 2.3 million stone blocks. To complete the structure within the roughly 27 year reign of Khufu, builders would have needed to place a block approximately every three minutes. The study found that a single ramp would have taken far too long, but a system beginning with as many as 16 ramps and gradually reducing to one as the pyramid narrowed could complete the main structure in about 13.67 years, with total construction time estimated between 20 and 27 years when accounting for quarrying and transport.

The proposed ramp would have been about 3.8 meters wide, allowing sledges carrying stones to move up while empty sledges descended. The model also introduces corner platforms to manage sharp turns and uses structural simulations to show that temporarily removing edge blocks would not have endangered the pyramid’s stability. The ramp’s predicted path aligns with unexplained internal voids previously detected, though the study emphasizes that the theory remains hypothetical and cannot yet be confirmed with current scanning technology.