Archaeologists have uncovered extraordinary new inscriptions inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid, finally confirming who really built the iconic monument 4,500 years ago — and shattering the long-held belief that it was constructed by slaves, reports MailOnline.
The incredible discovery, made by renowned Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass and his team, suggests that the ancient wonder was not built by 100,000 slaves, as Ancient Greek sources once claimed, but by highly skilled, paid workers operating under a strict regime.
“These findings confirm that the builders were not slaves. If they had been, they would never have been buried in the shadow of the pyramids,” Dr Hawass explained on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast. “Slaves would not have prepared their tombs for eternity, like kings and queens did, inside these tombs.”
Narrow chambers
Using advanced imaging technology, Dr Hawass’s team explored narrow chambers above the King’s Chamber, discovering work gang graffiti dating back to the 13th century BC. These chambers are so difficult to access that any suggestion the markings were forged has now been firmly dismissed.
“They were found in chambers that are difficult and dangerous to access, and they use writing styles that only trained Egyptologists can accurately interpret,” said Dr Hawass. “It’s nearly impossible that someone in recent times could have forged something like this. You must climb about 45 feet and crawl through tight spaces to even reach those chambers.”
Revealing script
The inscriptions, drawn onto rock deep within the pyramid, are being hailed as one of the most significant discoveries in decades. While some European explorers in the 18th and 19th centuries scratched their names into the pyramid’s interior, Dr Hawass says the new markings are authentic “graffiti from ancient Egyptian workers.”
In addition to the graffiti, the team discovered tombs south of the Great Pyramid — resting places of the very people who constructed it. The tombs contained tools such as flint instruments and pounding stones, as well as statues depicting workers muscling massive stone blocks. Some were even inscribed with titles like “overseer of the side of the pyramid” and “craftsman.”
Another major revelation involves how the pyramid was actually built. Dr Hawass revealed that limestone used in the construction was quarried just 1,000 feet away, then hauled via a rubble-and-mud ramp system, remnants of which his team found to the southwest of the monument.
“The ramp had to come from the southwest corner of the pyramid and connect to the quarry,” he said. “We excavated this area, and in the site labeled C2, we found remnants of the ramp, stone rubble mixed with sand and mud. When the ramp was dismantled, they didn’t remove every trace, and what was left behind is what we uncovered.”
The Great Pyramid of Giza, built by Pharaoh Khufu during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, is the largest of the three pyramids on the Giza Plateau and remains one of the greatest architectural feats in human history. Yet much about its construction has remained a mystery — until now.
Parallel excavation
Dr Hawass’s colleague, Mark Lehner, is leading a parallel excavation east of the pyramid, where the pair have uncovered what they call the “worker’s city.” This includes barracks, a bakery, fish sorting facilities, and evidence of a thriving settlement.
“There’s a popular myth that the workers ate only garlic, onions, and bread, but we found thousands of animal bones at the site,” Dr Hawass revealed. “An expert from the University of Chicago analyzed them and found that the Egyptians slaughtered 11 cows and 33 goats every day to feed the laborers. This diet was enough to support around 10,000 workers per day.”
Dr Hawass now plans to launch a new expedition funded by podcast host Matt Beall — and for the first time in modern history, a robot will be sent deep into the pyramid to uncover more of its secrets.
From the mythical to the tangible, these latest findings are dramatically rewriting the story of how the Great Pyramid was built — and by whom.