Technology is something that has touched our lives in many different ways. It wasn’t all that long ago that the science we use today was reserved for science fiction movies but now it has become a reality. Regardless of how far we have come technologically, however, the agent Egyptians still find a way to amaze us. Even though they didn’t have computers, smartphones or even electricity, there is still plenty to learn.
Although the Egyptians may have created many interesting things, the pyramids are probably what captured the imagination more than any other. One of those pyramids, which is the great pyramid of Giza, is even included in the seven wonders of the ancient world. It is thought to have been constructed between 2580-2560 BC. For some 3800 years, it held the record for the tallest man-made structure at 481 feet to the top.
The construction of the great pyramid took approximately 20 years and it was built to house the remains of Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty. During the time that it was being constructed, many people lost their lives but its construction still continues to baffle modern engineers. They just don’t understand how a mathematically precise location could have been determined before today’s technology existed.
One interesting thing about the great pyramid is that it is so accurately aligned. It faces true North with an amazingly small amount of error.
The limestone that encased the pyramid was destroyed in a 14th-century earthquake. Before that earthquake, the pyramid would shine brightly with a light so powerful it could even be seen from the moon. That is why it was dubbed as “Ikhet”, which means “Glorious Light.”
Something else that is interesting about this pyramid is that it is the only eight-sided pyramid in Egypt.
It is still not fully understand how the blocks used in the construction were moved because they are so large. Some think they may have rolled into place and others think that aliens were involved.
You can learn more about the construction of the pyramid in this video:
In 2018, only the most skilled workers would consider undertaking such a construction project. It is thought that up to 100,000 slaves may have been involved but it is now thought that it may have been constructed by skilled workers.
They didn’t have wheels, pullies and iron tools at the time so it is thought that the pyramid was created using critical paths analysis methods. This would have allowed the pyramid to be built in about 10 years from start to finish.
This is a picture of the great pyramid’s interior:
Despite that it has existed for so long, there are new things been discovered frequently. Scientists have now located a new feature which makes the construction even more difficult to fathom.
The exact location of the pyramid is impressive but now, it has been found that magnetic and electric energy is concentrated in the chambers and below the base. This means that there are higher pockets of energy in the walls.
Dr. Andrey Evlyukhin, the scientific supervisor, and coordinator of the research, said:
“Egyptian pyramids have always attracted great attention. We as scientists were interested in them as well, so we decided to look at the Great Pyramid as a particle dissipating radio waves resonantly.”
In case you are not scientifically minded, here is a breakdown of what that means. The researchers from ITM University were investigating the pyramid’s hidden chambers and the electromagnetic energy. This also included the king’s tomb and they found that the pyramid can concentrate its electromagnetic energy.
Here is a further explanation of electromagnetic energy:
“The energy source required to transmit information (in the form of waves) from one place (material) to another. This information can be in the form of light, heat, or in any other form.”
“The electromagnetic energy accumulates in the chambers […] It is shown that basically the Pyramid scatters the electromagnetic waves and focuses them into the substrate [underground] region.”
You really can’t underestimate the significance of this discovery. It tells us more about the technology of the ancient Egyptians but it also shows how we can create more efficient nanoparticles designs.
Polina Kapitainova, a member of the Faculty of Physics and Technology of ITMO University, said:
“Choosing a material with suitable electromagnetic properties, we can obtain pyramidal nanoparticles with a promise for practical application in nanosensors and effective solar cells.”
There was also another scientific discovery made about the great pyramid last year. They found that three adjacent stones at the base were warmer than those around them. This makes many people wonder how that could happen.
One theory is that the pyramid may contain another secret chamber that has yet to be discovered.
A huge void was found in the center of the great pyramid last year. It was a massive hole between the two chambers. They used cosmic-ray imaging to find it.
This isn’t the only discovery about ancient Egypt that was in the news recently. They also opened a 2000-year-old sarcophagus in the city of Alexandria recently. Some people were afraid that it was cursed.
The sarcophagus was in Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest city that was founded some 2300 years ago by Alexander the Great. The sarcophagus attracted a significant amount of attention because it was believed that it belonged to the king.
They didn’t find a well-preserved mummy inside. It was actually disappointing that there were three skeletons inside, floating in sewage.
Modern-day technology is amazing. I have a hard time believing, however, that people are going to be looking back on it in for thousand years and marveling over what we accomplished.