Until recently, there have been two working theories about how the Great Pyramid of Giza were built - using external ramps or using a crane. Now, French architect, Jean-Pierre Houdin, has suggested a new way using an internal ramp:

The theory suggests that for the bottom third of the pyramid, the blocks were hauled up a straight, external ramp. This ramp was far shorter than the one needed to reach the top, and was made of limestone blocks, slightly smaller than those used to build the bottom third of the pyramid. As the bottom of the pyramid was being built via the external ramp, a second ramp was being built, inside the pyramid, on which the blocks for the top two-thirds of the pyramid would be hauled. The internal ramp, according to Houdin, begins at the bottom, is about 6 feet wide, and has a grade of approximately 7 percent. This ramp was put into use after the lower third of the pyramid was completed and the external ramp had served its purpose.

The article provides an explanation of the theory, illustrations, and evidence(!) in support of it.

Link: How to Build a Pyramid

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