Were the pyramids of Giza in Egypt partly built of concrete? A debate on the idea that has smouldered for over 20 years has been reignited by Michel Barsoum of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and two colleagues, who analysed three stone samples from the pyramid of Khufu, the largest Giza tomb.
The team found that two samples included amorphous silicon-containing material, which they say is a concrete “glue” that holds the pyramid’s stone blocks together (Journal of the American Ceramic Society, vol 89, p 3788).
If true, this pushes back the first use of concrete by 2500 years.…
