The Great Pyramid of Giza was completed around 2560 BCE. For roughly how long did it remain the tallest human-made structure on Earth before something finally overtook it?
- About 200 years, until Rome's earliest temples were built
- Only a few decades, until later pyramids built nearby at Giza grew taller
- More than 3,800 years, until England's Lincoln Cathedral surpassed it in 1311 CE
- It has never been surpassed in height by any building since
Why C? And why not the others?
Correct answer: C. More than 3,800 years, until England's Lincoln Cathedral surpassed it in 1311 CE
The Great Pyramid stood roughly 146 metres tall when finished around 2560 BCE, and nothing built anywhere on Earth exceeded that height until the spire of Lincoln Cathedral in England was completed in 1311 CE — a gap of more than 3,800 years, making it by far the longest-held height record for any human-made structure in history. The option suggesting Roman temples overtook it after only 200 years is wrong on both counts: no Roman-era building came close to that height, and the real record stood for millennia, not centuries. The option about later pyramids at Giza is a tempting trap because the site does have three major pyramids, but the two built after Khufu's — for Khafre and Menkaure — were each built shorter than the original, not taller, so neither ever broke the record. The claim that it has never been surpassed is simply outdated; Lincoln Cathedral's spire (since collapsed and not rebuilt to that height) did exceed it for a time before later skyscrapers left both far behind.
Source: Britannica: 'How long did the Great Pyramid of Giza hold the record as the tallest man-made structure in the world?'