What did Egyptian builders use to carry heavy stones to the top of a pyramid?

Answer 1

the stones were most likely placed on sledges and dragged up ramps. Once they gained the working level the stones were manouvered in place by a combination of levers and brute force. The motive power for all this effort was human muscle provided by slaves.

Answer 2

They were placed on wooden sledges and dragged up a ramp by gangs of slaves using ropes made from papyrus or palm fronds. Water or oil was poured on the runners to overcome friction. A spiralling ramp of mud, brick and rubble was used to haul the blocks to the level where building was going on. No doubt the whip wielded by the overseer also eased the passage of the stones. The number of slaves used to haul a sledge depended on the size of the stone. An average pyramid stone weighing about 2.5 tons took 20 slaves. A large granite stone weighing perhaps 70 tons required perhaps 500. Imagine if you can a great block resting on its sledge coming up the causeway. Sitting on top of the block is a scribe bawling orders. Ahead of the sledge stretch long lines of straining slaves, sweat pouring from their naked bodies. The block moves a few feet at a time, the slaves front and rear pulling and prying in slow rhythm groaning to the shouts of foreman.

The above answer requires ramps that are as massive as the pyramids themselves - that would be inefficient engineering and the Egyptians would not do this.

The Egyptians built a transportation system the allowed the pyramid blocks to be easily moved from the quarries nearby and the harbor 1 mile away. To move 2.5 million blocks in 20 years requires 450 blocks to be moved each work day, lifted hundreds of feet in the air and set into place.

You can't move 450 blocks each work day with 20 - 100 workers per team, and no slaves worked on the pyramids. If 10 teams moved 45 blocks each work day that means each team had to move a block every 11 minutes 1+ miles and lifted an average of 200 feet in the air.

We can't do that with our current technology using the biggest and fastest construction equipment...........

Answer 3

People had lots of theories such as building a ramp up as you go and a single ramp in front of the pyramids but those didn't work