Ancient Egyptian Engineering Choices Helped the Great Pyramid of Giza Survive Earthquakes, New Research Finds
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Recent research reveals that the Great Pyramid of Giza's design contributes to its resilience against earthquakes. The study measured vibrations and found a significant difference between the pyramid's natural frequency and that of the surrounding soil. This mismatch helps protect the structure from damage during seismic events.
- ▪The Great Pyramid of Giza has survived significant earthquakes for over 4,600 years.
- ▪Researchers measured the pyramid's fundamental frequency to be between 2.0 and 2.6 hertz, while the surrounding soil was 0.6 hertz.
- ▪The pyramid's design features, such as its wide base and low center of gravity, contribute to its stability against seismic forces.
4 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 28 hours. Coverage spans 2 points on the political spectrum — 1 lean left, 2 centre.
- ▪ How the Great Pyramid of Giza has survived 4,500 years of Egyptian earthquakes — Phys.org
- ▪ How Egypt’s Great Pyramid Survived Thousands of Years of Earthquakes — Gizmodo
- ▪ Great Pyramid of Giza is remarkably resilient to earthquakes — and it's due to the ancient Egyptians' 'extraordinary' engineering knowledge — Live Science
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| Original publisher | Smithsonian Magazine |
| Canonical URL | https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-egyptian-engineering-choices-helped-the-great-pyramid-of-giza-survive-earthquakes-new-research-finds-180988790/ |
| Publication time | Fri, 22 May 2026 18:25:17 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-22T18:47:02.787Z |
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Ancient Egyptian Engineering Choices Helped the Great Pyramid of Giza Survive Earthquakes, New Research Finds Researchers measured vibrations inside and around the pyramid to learn that the structure is surprisingly resilient against seismic tremors Christian Thorsberg | Daily Correspondent May 22, 2026 2:25 p.m. ShareCopy linkEmailSMSFacebookXRedditLinkedInBlueskyPrintAdd as preferred source Built roughly 4,600 years ago, the Great Pyramid of Giza has survived several significant earthquakes. Douwe C. van der Zee via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0 For some 4,600 years, the sheer size of the Great Pyramid of Giza helped it survive conflicts and threats. But how the architectural marvel endured severe natural disasters with limited damage was unknown.
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