Mystery of construction of the pyramids ‘solved’

Researchers believe that they have finally found the answer as to how the ancient Egyptians managed to transport huge stones across the desert to build the pyramids.

In a study published in the Physical Review Letters, scientists from the University of Amsterdam in The Netherlands propose that the Egyptians simply wet the sand and dragged the 2.5 tonne stones across the desert on large upturned sleds.

The researchers tested the sliding friction of dry and wet sand when a weighted sled was pulled across the surface, and found that both the force needed to pull the sled and the friction coefficient decreased as water was added to the dry sand. Adding water made the sand more rigid, and prevented the sand piling up in front of the sled, which meant that less force was needed to move it.