Egyptologist dismisses Elon Musk claim that aliens built the pyramids

Dr Zahi Hawass said Egyptians built the 4,000-year old structures, which are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

Zahi Hawass, Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, stands before the Great Sphinx of Giza during a lecture with a tourist group on ancient Egyptian history, at the Giza Necropolis on the southeastern outskirts of the capital on November 20, 2019. - The 72-year-old dubbed "the Egyptian Indiana Jones" revels in his reputation as an indefatigable yet controversial figure in the enigmatic world of Egyptology. Having appeared in dozens of documentaries about ancient Egypt, Hawass himself is a star attraction for a luxury archaeological tour organised by an operator based in Poland. He was head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities from 2002 to 2011 and then briefly minister of antiquities in early 2011, before leaving in a haze of corruption allegations along with other Mubarak allies. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

Zahi Hawass, Egyptian archaeologist and former antiquities minister, stands before the Great Sphinx of Giza during a lecture with a tourist group on ancient Egyptian history, at the Giza Necropolis on the southeastern outskirts of the capital on November 20, 2019. - The 72-year-old dubbed "the Egyptian Indiana Jones" revels in his reputation as an indefatigable yet controversial figure in the enigmatic world of Egyptology. Having appeared in dozens of documentaries about ancient Egypt, Hawass himself is a star attraction for a luxury archaeological tour organised by an operator based in Poland. He was head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities from 2002 to 2011 and then briefly minister of antiquities in early 2011, before leaving in a haze of corruption allegations along with other Mubarak allies. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)

CAIRO, EGYPT - September 20: Portrait of Dr. Zahi Hawass in front of the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza on September 20, 2016 in Cairo, Egypt. Zahi Hawass is an Egyptian archaeologist, an Egyptologist, and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs. He has also worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert, and the Upper Nile Valley. (Photo by David Degner/Getty Images)

STNE SCANS-00005.jpg...Dr Zahi Hawass, Head of Supreme Council of Antiquities Egypt, standing infront of the Pyramids. Giza, Egypt. May 2002 (C) Karen Davies/National Geographic Channel

Controversial remark by Elon Musk that aliens built the Pyramids in Egypt has been roundly refuted by Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who described the claim as “complete hallucination” in a video posted on his Facebook page.

The Billionaire tech mogul endorsed the unproven theory via Twitter on Friday.

“Aliens built the pyramids obv [sic],” the SpaceX and Tesla chief executive said. In a later tweet, he added: “The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure made by humans for 3,800 years. Three thousand, eight hundred years.”

Alien theorists point to the extraordinary level of technical expertise demonstrated in the construction of the 4,000-year-old pyramids, which are counted among the seven wonders of the world.

Built as tombs for the pharaohs who ruled over Egypt, they continue to raise questions among scientists, who are not entirely sure how the towering structures were created. But they do cite significant evidence that human hands were behind the pyramids, even if some of the techniques remain a mystery.

Mr Hawass pointed to the recently uncovered Wadi Al Jarf papyrus, which includes the Diary of Merer, an official involved in building the Great Pyramid of Khufu.

“This is a response from Zahi Hawass to American billionaire Elon Musk, what you said about the pyramids is completely hallucination, the pyramids are built by Egyptians and I will tell you quickly the evidence.

Number one, all the tombs around the great pyramid mention Khufu pyramid, the king himself and also inside the great pyramid there are inscriptions telling us about the workmen and the gangs who built the pyramids,” the acclaimed egyptologist said.

He went on to lay out more historic and scientific evidence supporting the construction of the pyramids by Egyptians and suggested Mr Musk read up on the subject.

His advice was echoed by Egypt’s Minister of International Co-operation, Rania Al Mashat, who said in a comment to Mr Musk on Twitter: "I follow your work with a lot of admiration. I invite you and Space X to explore the writings about how the pyramids were built and also to check out the tombs of the pyramid builders. Mr Musk, we are waiting for you.''