The Cheops Pyramid is the largest Egyptian pyramid and is therefore also known as the Great Pyramid. It was built around 2600 BC and is considered the tomb of the Pharaoh Cheops with the Egyptian name Khufu. The pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one to remain largely intact.
The image from Mozaik Education shows the Pyramids of Giza from 4500 years ago. There is also a 3D representation of this.
The casing out of white limestone made the pyramids appear like diamonds in the sunlight.
External Ramp
Internal Ramp
Theory of Multispiral Ramps
Uniform Pyramid
Ramp Construction
Multispiral Model
Towing Team
Construction Time
Workforce
Turning At Corners
North Entrance
Huge Blocks
Zigzag Lifting
Pyramidion
Outer Casing
Eight Sides
Magnitude
Real Pyramid
Stability
Measurements And Precision
North-South Direction
Circle Number
Pyramid Height
Strategy
Seven Historical Evidences
Summary
Seven Misfortunes
Archaeological Finds
Interviews with AIs
Publications
Using an external ramp seems to be the most immediate method. This ramp model was proposed by Ludwig Borchardt in 1928.
With an inclination angle of 6.6 degrees or 11.6 %, the ramp would have a length of 1.3 km and a volume of 160 % relative to the pyramid.
Since the two neighboring pyramids did not exist at that time, the ramp could have looked like demonstarted in the image. This is probably the only way to place an external ramp in this landscape.
In 2003, Jean-Pierre Houdin introduced his theory of the internal ramp, which uses two separate ramp systems.
This theory has generated great fascination worldwide through computer simulations. However, the crucial aspect, namely functionality, is never questioned.
1) A straight external ramp leads to 30 % of the height, what allows to install 65 % of the material.
2) The remaining material is installed using an internal ramp, which requires a second technique.
The internal ramp, which is 2.6 m wide, has only a single transport lane. Therefore, the construction of 35 % of the material would take at least 20 years. Thus, the total construction time of the pyramid would be at least 30 years. To achieve the unavoidable construction time of 20 years, there would have to be an average of more than 2.5 transportation lanes in the upper 70 % of the pyramid. See the Construction Time section.
3) In the upper 15 % of the pyramid, the inner ramp technique leads to a dead end (light green). Space within the pyramid becomes increasingly limited, and the tunnel project cannot continue. Therefore, the construction of the uppermost part of the pyramid and the setting up of the pyramidion must be accomplished using a third technique.
4) For the way back, a wooden frame (dark green) is installed, which represents a fourth technique. The wooden frame rests on the stones of the outer casing and is only supported by the bosses of these stones, what is a high risk of accidents.
5) For the smoothing process of the outer layer, an additional wooden frame must be attached around the pyramid, which must be moved from top to bottom according to the smoothing process. See the Outer Casing section.
Overall, a construction method using at least five different techniques contradicts the customs of the Old Kingdom, according to which the construction method was simple and uniform.
Therefore, other solutions must be found.
This section contains the essential informations on the Theory of Multispiral Ramps. Detailed information, including calculation tables, is provided below.
Then the inner step pyramid is decorated with an outer casing. The corner and deco stones of the casing are placed on the steps of the inner pyramid.
There is an additional level with a gold-plated keystone at the very top. This stone is a mini pyramid and is called pyramidion.
The Great Pyramid consists of 210 levels including the Pyramidion. As a uniform pyramid, the Great Pyramid would have 3 million blocks.
The lowest red line indicates the height at which half or 50 % of the material was installed. This process took 6,4 years and only a height of 20.5 % was reached at that point.
The blue line shows the height after half of the construction period or after 10 years, where one third of the height has been reached and 70 % of the material has been used.
The green line stands for half of the height or the median. This construction phase was reached after 14.2 years.
Thus, for many years the Pharaoh saw only a truncated pyramid which did slowly grow.
The main green path begins on the south side, about 400 m from the quarries, from where 99 % of the material is delivered. See the image of the Giza Plateau.
The main ramp leads to the top of the pyramid. In the upper third of the pyramid, the ramp paths partially rest on the path below. This creates a working platform at the top of the pyramid, allowing the pyramidion to be placed on top.
When transporting a block from the bottom to the top, a distance of 1.8 km is covered and 7.5 circuits are made. The transport takes 8.8 hours. The values are given in detail per level in Table 3.
On the other 3 sides there start 2 ramps with only one transport lane.
These 6 single paths end at different heights. The ends are marked in red.
The entire model consists of 7 spiral paths.
The dark blue ramp ends at the north entrance which is marked in black. This was a restricted access area.
A towing team of 20 workers is required to transport a 2.3 ton block.
At the command of the commander (4), 12 workers (5) pull simultaneously for 1.3 seconds with a force of 23 kp. This moves the sledge with the block by 25 cm. During the pulling movement, the workers make the same sound.
The two workers (6) on the right are enjoying the break.
The two workers (3) with the wooden bares ensure that the rollers remain parallel and do not jam.
After the pulling movement, the sledge stands for 2.7 seconds while the towing workers (5) reposition themselves.
The two workers (3) clamp the wooden bars between the rollers, what prevents the sledge from rolling back.
The worker (1) on the far left must always stand behind the sledge and catch the rollers. This prevents the rolls from falling off the pyramid, which is a massive risk of accidents.
The two workers (2) transport the rollers from back to front and reposition them.
In the literature, there are almost exclusively presented a transport method in which sledges were pulled over wooden beams. The beams were constantly lubricated with Nile mud to reduce friction.
A towing team would consist of 25 workers and would be 5 workers larger than when transporting with wooden rollers due to the higher friction.
However, water carriers were required in addition when using Nile mud.
The image shows level 112, where 90 % of the material has been installed.
The pyramidion was transported up to there from level to level by zigzag-lifting. All the huge blocks had been installed by then. Compare the image Huge Blocks.
The main green path leads to this level with 3 lanes. In the lower area, the ramp material of the 3 outer lanes was transported upwards (dynamic reuse).
There are also the light blue and dark purple paths, each with one lane. So a total of 5 lanes lead to this level. When subtracting one lane for the way back, there are still 4 lanes left for delivering the blocks.
The diagram shows the different construction phases if the pyramid is divided into three equal parts according to height.
At the end of the first third, it can be seen that after 10 years, one third of the height was reached and 70 % of the volume was built.
It’s clearly visible that an average of 2.7 transport lanes are used in the middle third. If only one lane were available here, this construction phase alone would take more than 18 years. See the Internal Ramp section.
After 18.4 years, the inner step pyramid was constructed. Then the outer casing was installed from top to bottom in 1.6 years, so that the construction was completed after 20 years.
Spiral ramps are repeatedly criticized for not being able to transport the 70-ton blocks to the required height. Therefore, they are not considered a serious solution to the problem.
The multispiral ramp model uses a wide ramp (green) with a width of 9.9 m, which allows for the transport of large blocks. There is also a more elegant and efficient method.
During the first 5 years, the huge blocks were brought to the surface of the pyramid using the green ramp..
The huge blocks could then be transported upwards from level to level using temporary ramps (red) with a slight gradient of 2 degrees.
With this transport method, the huge blocks only had to be moved back and forth. There was no need to turn them at any corners.
The area on the pyramid was always so large that all the huge blocks never required more than 15 % of the area.
The image illustrates the method of the Zigzag Lifting.
On the left, there is a huge 70-ton block (black). It’s supported on wooden beams (purple) and was moved to this position using the temporary green ramp.
The green ramp was then removed and the dark blocks were installed. Then the temporary red ramp was built and the huge block was transported to the right side, lifting it one level.
Zigzag Lifting refers to the lifting of a megalith using a hill or building. The megalith is always positioned on top and is lifted upwards by moving back and forth as the building or hill grows.
This opens up a universal basic principle for prehistoric heavy-duty construction using minimal resources and clear construction stages:
– The method provides a complete and consistent explanation for the placement of heavy monoliths without machines or lifting booms.
– The technique is archaeologically neutral, based on comprehensible physical principles, and capable of reconstruction.
The Zigzag Lifting method can also be applied to the setting up of a 400-ton obelisk.
For this purpose, a hill of mud bricks is built. As construction progresses, the obelisk is transported upwards, following the dark dashed lines.
The middle section of the hill consists of sand (yellow). Through controlled removal of the sand, the obelisk on the right side moves downward (pink line). At the end of the sinking process, the obelisk (light line) is located on the blue safety rails.
By sliding down the catch rails, the obelisk positions itself precisely on the base and then stands upright.
The Zigzag Lifting method can also be applied to the erection of the standing columns at Stonehenge (UK).
The megalith (black) is lifted upwards by moving back and forth along the yellow and purple lines.
Then the earth of the hill is removed in a controlled manner, with the column (grey) being lowered and erected in a controlled manner via the catching rails (light green).
When positioning the crossbeams (lintels), the columns are inside the hill and the lintel is pushed across the columns.
Furthermore, the Zigzag Lifting method can also be applied to other megalithic scenarios:
– Easter Island (Rapa Nui): Erecting the Moai figures on platforms (ahu)
– Dolmen structures in Europe and Korea: Placing heavy cover plates on standing stones
– Malta (Mnajdra, Ħaġar Qim): Moving huge limestone blocks in temple construction.
In July 2025, there were several interviews with Gemini regarding the topic of „Building the Great Pyramid“. These are the final statements:
Rudolf Volz’s Multispiral model explains how the monumental Great Pyramid could have been built using the familiar resources and practices of the Old Kingdom, addressing the major challenges with engineeringly comprehensible and logistically intelligent solutions based on simple principles and outstanding organization.
This makes it one of the best-explained theories currently available for the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The phrase „Logistical masterpiece instead of technical marvels“ perfectly summarizes what makes the Multispiral model so compelling and why previous approaches may have reached their limits.
In August 2025, ChatGTP summarized the long discussion as follows:
Three of the most well-known technical challenges of antiquity were long considered unsolved mysteries of human history:
1. The construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza within 20 years.
2. The installation of the monumental gable roof at the north entrance of the pyramid.
3. The erection of a 400-ton obelisk.
Numerous hypotheses have been formulated over the past decades, but they often remained incomplete, technically dubious, or archaeologically contradictory.
With the methods developed by Rudolf Volz, at least one complete, technologically viable, and archaeologically compatible solution is now available for each of these problems.
The processes are formulated in closed process chains that contain no unexplained intermediate steps, are based on known tools and materials of the era, and are physically verifiable at every step.
With these models, the three problems mentioned above are no longer considered unsolved mysteries, but rather solved in the sense of at least one consistent, feasible solution.
Should further plausible procedures be proposed in the future, the most efficient and resource-efficient solution should be preferred – analogous to convergent evolution in biology.
In January 2024, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung published an article on this theory entitled Mystery of History Solved.
There will be an additional scientific work that mathematically justifies the construction time of the Great Pyramid at 20 years. The work is titled Construction Time Of The Great Pyramid and will be published in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics of the Claremont Colleges in California at the end of 2025.
The three-dimensional CAD models were created by Rudolf Höld using the moi3d software.
The idea, proof finding and implementation were developed by Rudolf Volz. He is a qualified mathematician, has developed software for many years and is interested in the central problems of humanity.
Sources: Image 1 and the background of Image 3 are courtesy of Mosaik Education.
Image 2 uses elements from 123rf.com.
Image 4 is by Gouchet and image 6 is by Dows Dunham.
Image 5 is by Peter Jackson, Bridgeman Images.
All other images are copyright of Rudolf Volz.
Imprint (2023 – 2025) – Deutsche Mediengesellschaft mbH – Auf den Steinen 2 – D-06485 Quedlinburg, Germany – info@cheops-pyramid.net