The three Great Pyramids of Giza have towered over the capital of Egypt for at least 4,500 years but their origin is shrouded in mystery. There are no detailed records of their construction and the sophisticated methods involved in their design appear to be centuries ahead of time. Archaeologists have spent years trying to decode the mysteries of the ancient Pharaohs’ burial places but are yet to even scratch the surface of the pyramids’ history. The pyramids’ enigmatic past has invited over the course of the 20th and 21st century a myriad of conspiracy theories concerning their construction.
The most prominent conspiracy theory states the Great Pyramids were built with the aid of extraterrestrial technology.
Other conspiracists believed alien UFOs imparted construction knowledge on ancient Egypt in order to raise the monstrous structures.
The tallest of the three pyramids, the Great Pyramid of Khufu, looms over the city below it at a height 455ft (138.8m).
The pyramid is estimated to be built from around 2,300,000 meticulously chiselled stone blocks, some of which weigh in at more than 50 tonnes.
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In 2001, Dr Viktor Ivanovich, a former scientist for Russia’s Kremlin, spectacularly claimed the KGB found ancient alien remains inside of the Great Pyramid.
Speaking candidly in a bizarre documentary on the subject of the pyramids’ supposed alien origins, the scientist argued the knowledge was stored in KGB archives as early as 1961.
He said: “The presence of this creature and the design of the pyramids, and the whole pool of historical and scientific evidence shows that this particular visitation took place about 11,000 years BC.”
However, claims of any links between the pyramids and supposed alien astronauts have been widely debunked by experts in the field of archaeology.
Assistant Professor Matthew Peeples, the co-founder of the School of Human Revolution at Arizona State University, refuted all paranormal conspiracies concerning the pyramids.
The expert said the idea intelligent extraterrestrial helped shape ancient civilisations here on Earth is the single most outrageous archaeological narrative in popular culture.
He said: “These ideas are not supported by scientific evidence, but they’ve become so prevalent that many people believe there must be something to them.
“To use the Great Pyramids in Egypt as an example, archaeologists have clearly shown how these structures fit in a broader tradition of smaller stone structures and earlier attempts at pyramid construction.
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“The building technology is impressive, but we don’t need to invoke aliens to explain it.
“Another popular notion is that professional archaeologists themselves are actively hiding the truth about the past.
“I’ve personally had people accuse me of being part of a widespread cover-up or conspiracy.
“This trope shows up again and again in pop culture through shows like ‘The X-Files’ or ‘Stargate’.”
The archaeologist said conspiracy claims like the ones about the pyramids have a long history, dating as far back as 1911.
And he believes they have held strong for so long, particularly in contemporary times, because “pseudoscience” is easily bought by the public.
Dr Peeples said: “A lot of pseudoscientific ideas attempt to put on the trappings of science by using the jargon but completely ignore the scientific process of formal observation and evaluation.
“Plausible arguments need to be supported by evidence rather than simply asserted, and the methods and data used should be made available for scrutiny.”