What if everything we thought we knew about ancient Egypt’s most iconic structure was wrong?
That’s the big question stirring debate lately, as new claims challenge the long-accepted story behind the Great Pyramid of Giza — one of the most famous monuments in human history.
Instead of being a masterpiece of Pharaoh Khufu’s reign around 4,500 years ago, some researchers now argue it may have been constructed by a much older, forgotten civilization—possibly as far back as 12,500 years ago.
Hancock’s Bold Theory Shakes Up the Timeline
British author and well-known alternative history advocate Graham Hancock recently made waves during his appearance on the American Alchemy podcast.
There, he shared his belief that clues hidden in geology and astronomy point to a radically different origin for the Great Pyramid.
According to Hancock, while the ancient Egyptians may have helped finish or restore parts of the structure, the core of the pyramid already existed long before Khufu’s time.
“I’m not trying to take credit away from the Egyptians,” Hancock said, “but I believe they inherited something much older and simply built upon it.”
Erosion and the Sphinx: More Clues Beneath the Surface?
A key piece of Hancock’s argument lies in the weathering of the Great Sphinx, located near the pyramids.
He points to deep erosion patterns on the Sphinx’s body that he claims could only have formed due to thousands of years of heavy rainfall.
But here’s the catch — Egypt hasn’t seen that kind of rainfall in over 10,000 years, suggesting to Hancock that the monument predates the ancient Egyptians.
“The last time Giza saw that much rain was during the end of the Ice Age,” he argued.
Egyptologist Zahi Hawass Calls It All Nonsense
Not everyone is convinced — far from it.
Prominent Egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass, a long-time defender of traditional Egyptology, strongly refutes these claims.
He told the Daily Mail that he and fellow archaeologist Mark Lehner have spent five decades excavating the Giza Plateau and found solid evidence tying the pyramids directly to the Fourth Dynasty, around 2600 BC.
As for the erosion on the Sphinx, Hawass attributes it to thousands of years of wind damage, not rain.
“If someone built these structures 12,000 years ago, where’s the proof?” he asked.
“There’s not a single artifact, no tool, nothing from that time.”
Digging Deeper: The Hunt for Khufu’s Tomb
During a conversation on the Matt Beall Limitless podcast, Dr Hawass discussed upcoming plans to excavate further inside the Great Pyramid, hoping to locate Pharaoh Khufu’s missing burial chamber.
But Hancock doesn’t buy it. He’s convinced no pharaoh was ever buried in the Great Pyramid — not Khufu, not anyone.
“None of Egypt’s 100 pyramids have ever revealed an intact royal burial,” he said.
“Especially not the Great Pyramid, which was sealed until the 9th century when Arab explorers forced their way in and found… absolutely nothing.”
Questioning the Timeline and the Workforce
Hancock also takes issue with the conventional view that the Great Pyramid was completed in just 23 years under Khufu’s rule.
He calls that idea “absurd,” arguing instead that a project of such magnitude likely took centuries — or even millennia — to complete.
One of his supporting points is the massive, flattened bedrock that serves as the foundation of the pyramids.
While mainstream scholars believe these platforms are natural features shaped by workers, Hancock thinks they’re much older and artificially leveled.
Ancient Star Maps and the Mystery of Zep Tepi
Another twist in Hancock’s theory ties the pyramids to an ancient Egyptian mythological era called Zep Tepi, or “The First Time.”
This was a golden age when gods supposedly walked the Earth.
He links this idea to the stars — specifically Orion’s Belt, which some believe aligns with the layout of the three pyramids.
But that alignment only fits if you rewind the clock to 12,500 years ago, not 4,500.
“At the time of Khufu, the stars didn’t match the pyramid layout,” Hancock claimed.
“But in 12,500 BC, Orion’s Belt aligned perfectly. Even the Sphinx faced Leo, not Taurus — suggesting a connection to that ancient date.”
Written Records Tell a Different Story
For Egyptologists, however, the debate isn’t just about erosion and stars — it’s also about documents.
Dr Hawass pointed to a critical piece of evidence: the Wadi El-Jarf Papyri.
This ancient logbook, written by an overseer named Merer, provides detailed notes on the labor and transport activities during Khufu’s reign.
It even mentions limestone being cut from Tura quarries and transported by boat to the construction site.
“There’s no gap in our timeline,” Hawass said.
“The Epipaleolithic era, which existed 12,000 years ago, didn’t have the tools, technology, or society needed to build such monuments. That was still the hunter-gatherer period.”
Two Competing Visions of Ancient History
At the heart of this ongoing debate are two vastly different worldviews: one rooted in mainstream archaeology, and the other in alternative theories about lost civilizations.
Hancock continues to argue for a forgotten chapter in human history, where ancient peoples may have possessed advanced knowledge long before we’re currently aware of.
Meanwhile, Dr Hawass and his peers insist the evidence firmly supports Egypt’s dynastic timeline, with Khufu at the center.
What’s Next for the Great Pyramid?
With new excavations planned and theories still clashing, the mystery of the Great Pyramid remains alive.
Whether you side with Hancock’s vision of a lost advanced civilization or with Hawass’s decades of archaeological evidence, one thing is clear:
The Great Pyramid still has secrets to reveal — and the search for the truth is far from over.
