Construction of Khufu's Great Pyramid
c. 2580–2560 BCE · Ancient World
The Great Pyramid of Khufu was built during the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt's Old Kingdom (c. 2580-2560 BCE) on the Giza plateau. The structure reached 481 feet (146 meters) in height with a base covering 13 acres, making it the world's tallest human-made structure for over 3,800 years. The pyramid contains approximately 2.3 million stone blocks weighing 2-3 tons each, with some reaching 80 tons. Archaeological evidence from papyri at Wadi el-Jarf indicates workers transported limestone blocks via waterways connected to the Nile. Hemiunu, Khufu's vizier, supervised construction.
Key Figures
KhufuHemiunu
Locations
Giza Pyramid Complex
Topics
pyramidancient egyptmonumental architecturemortuary complexwaterways
Connected Events — 3 Connections
The Rhind Papyrus contains seked calculations for pyramid slope angles, documenting mathematical methods developed for and used in pyramid construction Egyptian Mathematical Papyri
Completed the complex whose construction began with Khufu's pyramid Great Pyramids of Giza Completed
Kerma's gold trade provided wealth that enabled Egypt's monumental pyramid construction projects Kingdom of Kerma Established
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