The Great Pyramid, likewise referred to as the Khufu Pyramid or the Pyramid of Cheops, was constructed by the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) around 2600 BCE over a duration of about 26 years, making it the earliest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Initially standing almost 147 m high, it was the world’s highest human-made structure for more than 3,800 years before being exceeded in 1311 CE by Lincoln Cathedral in England.

Its existing height of 137 m shows the loss of the initial smooth limestone case over the centuries.

Given that its building and construction, the ancient monolith has actually endured many earthquakes– consisting of one in 1847 with an approximated magnitude of 6.8, and another in 1992 with a magnitude of 5.8– without suffering significant damage externally or internally.

There is presently little proof to support theories describing the structure’s strength.

“The Khufu Pyramid was the earliest pyramid built in the northwestern part of the Giza plateau in Cairo throughout the Old Kingdom,” stated senior author Dr. Asem Salama and coworkers from Egypt and Japan.

“The pyramid was initially built to a height of 146.59 m, with a base length of around 230.33 m per side and a slope angle of 51 degrees.”

“However, existing measurements suggest that today height has to do with 137 m, showing the loss of the initial casing stones and peak in time.”

“The pyramid’s structure includes a core and a case of horizontal stones, with supporting blocks sprinkled throughout.”

“The Khufu pyramid is approximated to consist of around 2.3 million stone blocks, each thoroughly placed to accomplish its huge scale and stability.”

“Internally, the pyramid includes 8 primary aspects: the primary entryway with coming down passage, the entryway produced by Caliph al-Ma’mun’s workers, the Subterranean Chamber, the Grand Gallery, the Queen’s Chamber, the King’s Chamber, the alleviating chambers, and the shafts.”

“This elaborate plan highlights the sophisticated engineering and architectural preparation attribute of Old Kingdom pyramid building and construction.”

In their brand-new research study, the authors tape-recorded seismic sound at 37 places, consisting of the King’s Chamber, Queen’s Chamber, pressure-relieving chambers, building and construction blocks, and in the surrounding soil.

A lot of areas of the pyramid shared an extremely constant basic frequency in between 2 and 2.6 Hertz, while the surrounding soil vibrated at approximately 0.6 Hertz.

That separation most likely lowered the threat that earthquakes would enhance shaking within the structure itself.

The scientists likewise discovered that vibration amplification typically increased with height inside the pyramid however dropped in the pressure-relieving chambers above the King’s Chamber, recommending those areas might assist dissipate seismic tension.

Still, they warned versus overemphasizing the findings: while the frequency inequality might discuss part of the pyramid’s toughness, there is no direct proof that ancient Egyptian home builders purposefully crafted the monolith for seismic security.

“Any tip of deliberate seismic optimization by ancient Egyptian designers stays simply speculative and can not be corroborated by geophysical measurements alone,” they stated.

The group’s findings were released on May 21, 2026 in the journal Scientific Reports

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M. ELGabry et al2026. Architectural and geotechnical elements impacting earthquake durability for the antique Egyptian Khufu pyramid. Sci Rep 16, 14032; doi: 10.1038/ s41598-026-49962-6