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Great Pyramid of Giza built for Khufu

c. 2560 BCE·Science, technology & invention·Lower Egypt (Egypt)·
c. 2560 BCEDate
Science, technology & inventionCategory
3Empires active
Date
c. 2560 BCE
Category
Science, technology & invention
Region
Lower Egypt (Egypt)
Era
Ancient Civilizations
Significance

The Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) commissioned the Great Pyramid on the Giza plateau, completed around 2560 BCE after roughly two to three decades of labour.

Originally about 146.6 metres tall, it remained the tallest human-made structure on Earth for more than 3,700 years and is the largest and most precisely engineered of the Egyptian pyramids, built from millions of limestone and granite blocks. Its construction represents an extraordinary mobilisation of state resources, labour organisation, surveying, and logistics, reflecting the centralised power and administrative sophistication of the Old Kingdom at its height. The pyramid served as Khufu's tomb and the centrepiece of a larger complex of temples, causeways, and subsidiary pyramids. The only surviving member of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, it stands as the most iconic monument of ancient Egypt and a benchmark of early engineering achievement.

See the world map in c. 2560 BCE →More science, technology & inventionThe Ancient Civilizations era

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Further reading

If you read one book

The Pyramids: The Mystery, Culture, and Science of Egypt's Great Monuments

Miroslav Verner

Comprehensive yet readable guide to how and why the pyramids were built.

Get it on Amazon →

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