A hidden design feature may explain how the Great Pyramid survived earthquakes

As the earthquake’s vibrations travel upward through the Great Pyramid of Giza, they intensify before weakening inside the rooms built above the King’s Chamber. This decrease in vibration strength may be one reason why the pyramid has survived earthquakes for thousands of years with relatively little damage.

A new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, examines why the Pyramid of Khufu withstood centuries of seismic activity, including the 1847 earthquake estimated at 6.8 magnitude and the 1992 Cairo earthquake, which killed more than 500 people, without sustaining major internal or external damage.

The researchers found that seismic energy moves through the pyramid differently than it moves through the surrounding ground, which helps distribute stress across a large portion of the structure rather than concentrating it in one area.

The structure, which was completed more than 4,500 years ago, contains an estimated 2.3 million limestone blocks and was originally about 482 feet (147 m) high. But despite its enormous weight and size, seismic energy appears to move through the pyramid in unusually controlled ways.

Read more: Are the Egyptian pyramids aligned with the stars?

Why do the Great Pyramid of Giza and the ground beneath it respond differently to earthquakes?

The researchers used sensitive vibration sensors to record ambient tremors at 37 locations throughout the pyramid, including the inner chambers, corridors, outer stones and surrounding soil. The small vibrations came from sources such as ocean waves, climate activity and human movement.

Some of the pyramid’s narrow upper chambers were so narrow, forcing researchers to carefully place tools within the stone spaces above the king’s chamber.

Most areas within the pyramid share almost identical vibration frequencies ranging from 2.0 to 2.6 Hz. However, the surrounding ground was vibrating much slower at about 0.6 Hz. This mismatch may help protect the structure during earthquakes.

When structures and the ground beneath them move in sync during an earthquake, the shaking can be amplified. But the Great Pyramid and the soil surrounding it move at different rates, which may limit the amount of earthquake energy that is transferred to the structure itself.

The King’s Chamber may have its own seismic barrier

The study also tracked how vibration levels changed at different heights inside the pyramid.

Near the baseline, amplification remained low. However, at the top, the vibrations became steadily stronger, peaking inside the King’s Chamber at about four times the vibration level measured at the pyramid’s foundation.

This made the King’s Chamber one of the most seismically measured spaces within the pyramid.

Although located higher in the structure, a series of narrow chambers built above the King’s Chamber registered lower amplification levels than the chamber below it. These spaces, often called relief chambers, were originally designed to reduce the pressure created by the stone blocks above.

The subterranean chamber carved directly into the rock also behaved differently. Almost no seismic amplification has been found there, likely because the chamber remains tightly attached to the limestone foundation beneath the pyramid.

The pyramid shape may also help it resist earthquakes

Much of the pyramid’s mass is located close to the ground, creating a low center of gravity that helps resist tipping and uneven pressure.

It is impossible to know whether the Great Pyramid was intentionally designed to resist earthquakes. The structure was built more than 4,500 years ago, before anyone could understand seismic waves or resonance.

But some of the pyramid’s oldest architectural features may still help protect it today. The same chambers built above the King’s Chamber to support thousands of tons of stone may also serve to dampen earthquake vibrations moving through the structure.

Read more: Three generations built the Pyramids of Giza over time, but how they did so is a matter of debate

Article sources

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