Historical records and studies show that Egyptian pyramids are around 4,600 years old. However, a new study has claimed that these structures could be thousands of years older. Italian engineer Alberto Donini from the University of Bologna says they could have been built between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago. His controversial claims are based on erosion patterns at the base of the pyramid. The scientist compared the amount of erosion on the pyramid stones with that of nearby stones. The difference in the amount of wear and tear helped him calculate the time span the older stones could have been exposed to the elements. Some of the measurements suggested that the stones were tens of thousands of years old. He estimated roughly 25,000 years of erosion for some of them, far exceeding the age assigned to the pyramids. The scientist even thinks that Pharaoh Khufu did not build the Great Pyramid of Giza, but instead just renovated it.
This pyramid is the largest of the three pyramids on the Giza Plateau, and historical records attribute him as the builder of the pyramid during Egypt's Fourth Dynasty. The Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Great Sphinx are the other structures in the region. Donini implemented a comparative erosion analysis, measuring the volumetric loss of limestone surfaces exposed since construction against those shielded by casing stones until the 14th century. He reached a chronological benchmark to determine the age. He also looked at the "weathering clock" of its stones and compared the heavy erosion with the much lighter wear on the surface.
He measured 12 points around the base, and each of them produced a different age, from 5,700 to over 54,000 years. Averaging the figures showed there was a 68 per cent likelihood that the pyramid was built between roughly 11,000 and 39,000 years ago. He gave an overall average of about 24,900 years. However, he could not reach the exact construction date. "Although the resulting date ranges are wide, the conclusions indicate a low probability for the official archaeological dating of 2,560 BC," he said.
