Scientists have been in the dark for years about how the pyramids were built. The exact construction method used by the Egyptians is also still unknown.
But TikToker @taistar42from Arkansas, USA, claims to have ‘proven’ how the ancient structures were built. He proposed the strange theory that they may have used sound to move the large stones, but offered little further explanation.
In a clip that has been viewed more than 16 million times, he gave a simple demonstration using a didgeridoo and a small plastic bag.
He captioned the video, “Ancient Egyptians used advanced technology,” and claimed in the bizarre clip that “pyramids were built with sound.”
The TikTokker played his instrument, using it to pick up what looked like a plastic bag and move it through the air.
TikToker @taistar42, from Arkansas, US, claims he has ‘proven’ how the ancient structures were built, saying they used sound to move the large stones
He carried the bag with the help of the sound of the didgeridoo and placed it on the other side of the room.
The digeridoo player did not explain his theory in detail, but he seemed to suggest that a frequency on a much larger scale was used to move the heavy pieces of stone into place to build the pyramids.
However, not everyone in the comments was convinced. Some said it would be much harder to pick up large stones.
Someone said, ‘Okay. That might work for lightweight plastic, but how does it work for plastic that weighs more than 1 ton?’
Another said: ‘The noise this would make from a stone weighing hundreds of tons would destroy the Earth.’
Someone else said: ‘This theory is debunked in this comment: No, they didn’t. The amount of vibration required to lift a rock would have killed everyone nearby.’
Another skeptic added: “Pick up a 45,000-pound block of concrete with it and I might believe you.”
However, others agreed with the theory and said it made perfect sense.
Someone said, “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen and honestly it makes as much sense as anything else. Maybe even more sense.” Another said, “Vibrations and frequencies shape our entire existence.”
How exactly the pyramids were built by the first engineers of the civilized world has long been a subject of debate. Many theories have been put forward over the years.
According to a popular theory, the pyramid was built from the ground up, layer by layer, using a system of ropes and sledges to hoist stones to the top.
In a clip that has been viewed more than 16 million times, he gave a simple demonstration using a didgeridoo and a small plastic bag
Still, not everyone in the comments section was convinced, with some saying it would be much harder to pick up large rocks
However, others agreed with the theory, with some saying it makes perfect sense
But new research suggests that the oldest pyramid in Egypt, the Pyramid of Djoser, was built 4,700 years ago using an even more ingenious ‘hydraulic lift’.
“The ancient Egyptians are known for their pioneering role and their mastery of hydraulics, particularly in building canals for irrigation purposes and ships for transporting enormous stones,” the team explains.
‘This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic power to erect the enormous structures of the pharaohs.’
The new theory is presented in a new study led by Xavier Landreau, president of Paleotechnic, an archaeological research institute in Paris, France.
The researchers studied historical documents and satellite photos of the area to interpret the features that supported their claim.
“We found that the internal architecture of the step pyramid is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism that has never been reported before,” Landreau and colleagues said.
A new study suggests that the oldest pyramid in Egypt, the Pyramid of Djoser, was built using an ingenious ‘hydraulic lift’. A huge jet of water was blasted through the centre of the pyramid ‘like a volcano’, pushing the stones to the top, researchers believe
The Step Pyramid of Djoser is 60 meters high and is considered the first pyramid in Egypt.
Gisr el-Mudir is one of the oldest known stone structures in Egypt, just a few hundred meters west of the Pyramid of Djoser. The function of the space has long been unclear. Pictured: Egyptian archaeologists at Gisr el-Mudir in January 2023
‘Ancient architects probably brought the stones up from the center of the pyramid in a volcanic way, using the sediment-free water.’
The Pyramid of Djoser, about 60 meters high, is a “step pyramid,” meaning that its sides are a series of flat platforms or steps, unlike the relatively flat sides of the famous Pyramid of Giza.
Giza is the largest pyramid in Egypt, but Djoser is the oldest. It was built between 2667 and 2648 BC.
The impressive structure was built entirely of stone by the ancient Egyptian architect Imhotep in the vast Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo.
This is believed to be the final resting place of King Djoser, pharaoh of ancient Egypt and founder of the Old Kingdom.
Although it was already known that there was a huge shaft in the center of the pyramid, researchers now present a new theory about its purpose.
First, they point to Gisr el-Mudir, an ancient stone structure less than a mile west of the Pyramid of Djoser.
The function of Gisr el-Mudir has never been fully understood, but researchers believe it may have functioned as a dam, collecting rainwater and channeling it through a system of pipes to the pyramid.
Once the underground water reached the center of the pyramid, it flowed up the central shaft, much like magma in a volcano.
This powerful jet of water would have propelled a floating elevator – a flat platform, probably made of wood – that could carry up to 100 tons of stone at a time thanks to the force of the water.
According to the experts, the water jet could be controlled so that the shaft could be emptied and reused for a new load of stones.
It is possible that the water at the base of the pyramid shaft is blocked, acting as a plug, before being released once the next load is put into place.
While this new system may sound remarkably complex for 4,700 years ago, the pyramids themselves are evidence that the ancient Egyptians may have been more skilled engineers than we think.
Gisr el-Mudir was previously thought to be a cattle ranch, a ceremonial site for worshipping the gods, or even an unfinished pyramid.
But the theory that it was a dam provides a compelling link to the central shaft of the Pyramid of Djoser, which reopened to visitors in 2020 after a 14-year restoration.