Origins of Egypt's Great Pyramid upended as clues point to lost civilization from 20,000 years ago.
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For more than a century, Egyptologists have dated the Great Pyramid to around 2580 BC, about 4,600 years ago.
A controversial new study now claims the monument could be tens of thousands of years older.
Italian engineer Alberto Donini from the University of Bologna said erosion patterns at the pyramid's base suggest it may have been built between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago, far earlier than the conventional timeline.
Donini's Relative Erosion Method (REM) estimated the pyramid's age by comparing how much erosion occurred on stones exposed since construction with nearby stones whose exposure time is known.
By measuring the difference in wear, he calculated how long the older stones have been exposed, producing dates that far exceed traditional estimates.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, examined twelve points around the pyramid's base. Some measurements suggested tens of thousands of years of erosion, with the average pointing to roughly 25,000 years.
Donini also proposed that Pharaoh Khufu may have renovated the pyramid rather than built it, potentially revising assumptions about its original authorship.
If the dates proposed by Donini are accurate, the Great Pyramid could predate not only the reign of Khufu but also the rise of any known advanced civilizations, raising fundamental questions about human history and architectural knowledge in the distant past.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, the largest of the three pyramids on the Giza Plateau, was built by Pharaoh Khufu during Egypt's Fourth Dynasty.
It sits alongside the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Great Sphinx, all shrouded in mystery due to their precise alignment, unusual construction methods, and debated purpose.
The new study measured erosion at twelve points around the base of the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
At each point, Donini compared limestone surfaces that had been exposed since the pyramid's construction with adjacent surfaces that were only exposed after the outer casing blocks were removed about 675 years ago.
He measured the volume of eroded material on both surfaces and calculated a ratio, which allowed him to estimate how long the older stones had been exposed.
Each point produced a different age, ranging from about 5,700 to over 54,000 years.
However, the average suggested a 68 percent probability that the pyramid was built between roughly 11,000 and 39,000 years ago, with an overall average of about 24,900 years.
Donini emphasized that REM does not provide a precise construction date, but rather an estimate of the structure's age range with an associated probability.
Although the resulting date ranges are wide, the conclusions indicate a low probability for the official archaeological dating of 2,560 BC,' he said.
The study challenges long-held assumptions about ancient Egypt and has ignited debate among archaeologists, historians and engineers.
Some scholars have pointed out that evidence for the pyramid’s construction has always relied heavily on textual sources, like the later inscriptions found inside the monument, which may not reflect the original building period.
Donini’s approach differs from traditional archaeological dating, which often relies on historical records, carbon dating of organic material, or stylistic comparisons with other monuments.
By focusing on the physical erosion of the stone itself, REM offers a method that is independent of historical accounts, providing an entirely new perspective on the pyramid’s age.
The study also acknowledges that many factors, including climate variation, acid rain, foot traffic, and partial burial under sand, introduce uncertainty into the calculations. Despite these variables, the consistent results across twelve measurement points strengthen the claim that the pyramid’s base has endured tens of thousands of years of exposure.
Whether the findings will overturn centuries of Egyptological consensus remains to be seen, but the research has already reopened one of archaeology’s most enduring mysteries.
