Scientists have revealed the great engineering power of the Great Pyramid

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The Great Pyramid has withstood Egypt’s repeated earthquakes for thousands of years, but how something so ancient could hold up so well has until now been a mystery. Researchers who measured vibrations in and around the pyramid found that the pyramid’s frequencies differ from the frequencies of the ground on which it stands. Different frequencies mean less chance of resonance, or absorption of Earth’s frequencies, and some engineering elements could have prevented the pyramid from falling.

For more than four and a half thousand years, the Great Pyramid of Khufu has loomed over the Giza Plateau, a massive boulder rising from the ancient sands. Its riches have been plundered, its casing stones lost, it has faced brutal desert storms, and it has silently witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations. Khufu’s personal portal to the afterlife may truly be eternal, as it was also built to survive the numerous earthquakes that rocked Egypt over the millennia.

Earthquakes have toppled other monuments due to resonance. Every object or system has a natural frequency at which it vibrates in response to an external force such as sound waves or physical vibration. Because of resonance, earthquake tremors increase dramatically if the natural frequency of the structure matches the wavelengths of the ground shaking beneath it. Recently, a team led by seismologist Assem Salama of Cairo’s National Research Institute for Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) investigated the Great Pyramid’s resistance to earthquakes, and found that it resonates differently from the sand on which it sits. Its architecture also suggests that the ancient Egyptians may have known something about preventing earthquake damage. Empty chambers above the mid-level King’s Chamber relieve some of the pressure from seismic responses that increase at the top of the pyramid.

“These results represent compelling quantitative evidence that ancient Egyptian architects had a deep geotechnical understanding and optimized structure design and site characterization to ensure millennium-level stability against seismic hazards,” they said in a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports.

During the Old Kingdom—the period from 2600 to 2450 B.C., when the first pharaohs ruled Egypt—Khufu’s elaborate tomb was built from 2.5-ton blocks of limestone. Archaeologists believe that these huge blocks were pushed up the slopes which were incorporated into the structure and later filled in. It almost seems like a supernatural act. But what is even more amazing is how the pyramid withstood the violently shaking ground. For example, the Great Pyramid of Khufu managed to survive the 5.9 magnitude Cairo earthquake in 1992, causing only minor damage. Salima and his research team measured the natural frequency of the pyramid using 37 sensors placed in and around the ancient building. Using a method known as horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio analysis, or HVSR, they recorded even the slightest vibrations, from the interior rooms to the exterior stonework and immediate surroundings.

By comparing the horizontal and vertical movements within its vibrations, the researchers estimated the frequencies of the Great Pyramid and the ground surrounding it, and revealed a difference between them. Throughout history, structures that vibrated at the same frequency as the ground below have collapsed in earthquakes, and also succumbed to storms with high winds that caused the resonance. Since Khufu’s pyramid vibrates at a different frequency than the Earth, it is less likely to absorb energy than would otherwise be the case. While there are other factors that influence whether a structure will survive an earthquake, this discovery suggests that variation in resonance is at least one element that has kept this monument to the founding pharaoh standing for thousands of years.

It is also possible that the Great Pyramid’s longevity had something to do with its geometry. Its four walls, which according to one theory are made in the image of sunlight, radiate outward and downward. Its symmetry promotes balance and mass distribution from the center. Most of the pyramid’s mass is near the bottom, and tapers off until it reaches the top, which aims to reach the bright sun disk of Ra. Then there is the limestone that was used to create it. Along with decompression chambers, the limestone that makes up the foundation stone and body of Khufu’s pyramid helps dissipate upward vibrations. Some of this protection may have been purely coincidental, as these chambers may have been designed only to support the enormous weight of the pyramid. The extent to which the pyramid’s features were deliberately designed to remain standing after an earthquake remains a mystery.

“The low risk of resonance… may contribute to the monument’s remarkable seismic endurance over thousands of years,” Salima said. “Any suggestion of deliberate seismic amelioration by ancient Egyptian architects remains speculative and cannot be proven by geophysical measurements alone.”

But it’s hard not to wonder whether the natural resonance protecting the Great Pyramid of Khufu is just a matter of coincidence.

Elizabeth Ryan Creature Writes. Her work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Ars Technica, SYFY WIRE, Space.com, Live Science, Den of Geek, Forbidden Futures, and Collective Tales. She’s lurking just outside New York City with her parrot, Lestat. When she’s not writing, she can be found drawing, playing the piano, or morphing.

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