Computer scientist Vicente Luis Rosell Roig published the theory in NPJ Heritage Science in March 2026, according to the study. Workers used an 'edge ramp' — a sloping path along the pyramid's outer edges that was gradually covered as each new layer was added, the study suggests. Simulations suggest blocks could have been placed every four to six minutes, allowing completion in 14 to 21 years. When quarrying, transport, and breaks are factored in, the total timeline rises to around 20 to 27 years, according to the study.
The pyramid stretches about 755 feet along each side of its base and rises to roughly 481 feet, according to historians. Historians estimate it was built from approximately 2.3 million stone blocks. Rosell Roig noted that Old Kingdom technology precluded iron tools and wheeled heavy transport but allowed copper chisels, water-lubricated sledges, ropes, levers, earthen works, and Nile barges. He added that the model bound ramp slope, lane width, and friction to evaluate the dispatch headway required to satisfy the 20–27-year window.
The theory could explain why mysterious empty spaces have been detected inside the pyramid, though the precise location and size of these spaces remain unknown. It is also unclear how the hidden ramp was constructed and then sealed, and whether any physical remains of the ramp exist to support the theory.