Construction of the Great Pyramid began around 2550 B.C., near what is now the city of Cairo. It was created as a burial site for a pharaoh, or ruler, named Khufu (KOO-foo). 

The massive structure stands about 450 feet tall, and its base is longer than two football fields. Tens of thousands of workers spent about two decades building the pyramid. They hauled more than 2 million stone blocks and set them carefully in place—without any of the machinery that exists today. 

On average, the blocks weigh 5,000 pounds each—about as much as a minivan! Some of the stones weigh much more.

“There’s not one single block that is the same size as any other,” says archaeologist Mark Lehner. He’s been studying the pyramids of Giza for more than 40 years. 

Construction of the Great Pyramid began around 2550 B.C. It was built near what is now the city of Cairo. The pyramid was created as a burial site for a pharaoh, or ruler. His name was Khufu (KOO-foo). 

The massive structure stands about 450 feet tall. Its base is longer than two football fields. Tens of thousands of workers built the pyramid. It took them about two decades. They hauled more than 2 million stone blocks and set them carefully in place. The workers were able to do this without any of the machinery that exists today. 

On average, the blocks weigh 5,000 pounds each. That’s about as much as a minivan! Some of the stones weigh much more.

“There’s not one single block that is the same size as any other,” says archaeologist Mark Lehner. He’s been studying the pyramids of Giza for more than 40 years.  

Today, tourists can visit Khufu’s burial chamber and some of the other rooms inside the Great Pyramid. But certain hard-to-reach areas remain unexplored, even by archaeologists. That’s where the ScanPyramids team comes in. Using special scanning technology, scientists can “see” behind the pyramid’s walls without damaging them. 

The team discovered the hidden passage a few years ago. But at the time, they didn’t know exactly what it was. Could it be another burial chamber? A room filled with treasures? To find out, scientists fed a tiny camera called an endoscope through a crack between the pyramid’s stones. The camera captured images of the space, which was empty.

But experts say the space is actually an important piece of the puzzle. The corridor may have been created to support some of the pyramid’s weight to prevent the entrance below from collapsing.

“They didn’t want that passage to be crushed by the weight of the pyramid,” explains Lehner. 

Today, tourists can visit Khufu’s burial chamber. They can also go into other rooms inside the Great Pyramid. But certain hard-to-reach areas remain unexplored, even by archaeologists. That’s where the ScanPyramids team comes in. Special scanning technology allows scientists to “see” behind the pyramid’s walls. Their equipment doesn’t damage the walls. 

The team discovered the hidden passage a few years ago. But they didn’t know exactly what it was. Could it be another burial chamber? A room filled with treasures? The scientists wanted to find out. So they used a tiny camera called an endoscope. They fed it through a crack between the pyramid’s stones. The camera captured images of the space. It was empty.

But experts say the space is actually an important piece of the puzzle. The corridor may have been created to support some of the pyramid’s weight. It could prevent the entrance below from collapsing.

“They didn’t want that passage to be crushed by the weight of the pyramid,” explains Lehner. 

Scientists still have a lot of unanswered questions about the Great Pyramid. Lehner says advances in technology will likely lead to more discoveries of what is hidden inside.

“Who knows what’s coming next,” he says. 

Scientists still have a lot of unanswered questions about the Great Pyramid. Lehner says advances in technology will likely lead to more discoveries of what is hidden inside.

“Who knows what’s coming next,” he says.  

1. What does the phrase “towered over” mean? Why do you think the author writes that the Great Pyramid “has towered over” the Egyptian desert?

2. Summarize the main ideas of the section “Building a Giant.”

3. What is one theory experts have about why the empty passage in the Great Pyramid was created?

1. What does the phrase “towered over” mean? Why do you think the author writes that the Great Pyramid “has towered over” the Egyptian desert?

2. Summarize the main ideas of the section “Building a Giant.”

3. What is one theory experts have about why the empty passage in the Great Pyramid was created?