ica , ▁the ▁Great ▁Py ram id ▁is ▁ ▁high ▁and ▁contains ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁cub ic ▁meters ▁of ▁earth ▁fill . ▁The ▁current ▁con ical ▁shape ▁of ▁the ▁py ram id ▁was ▁once ▁thought ▁to ▁represent ▁nearby ▁vol cano es ▁or ▁mountains , ▁but ▁recent ▁work ▁by ▁Reb e cca ▁Gonz ale z ▁Lau ck ▁has ▁shown ▁that ▁the ▁py ram id ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁a ▁rect angular ▁py ram id ▁with ▁stepped ▁sides ▁and ▁in set ▁corners , ▁and ▁the ▁current ▁shape ▁is ▁most ▁likely ▁due ▁to ▁ 2 5 0 0 ▁years ▁of ▁er os ion . ▁The ▁py ram id ▁itself ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁exc av ated , ▁but ▁a ▁magnet ometer ▁survey ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁found ▁an ▁anom aly ▁high ▁on ▁the ▁south ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁py ram id . ▁Spe cul ation ▁ranges ▁from ▁a ▁section ▁of ▁burn ed ▁cl ay ▁to ▁a ▁cache ▁of ▁buried ▁offer ings ▁to ▁a ▁tomb . ▁ ▁Complex ▁A ▁Complex ▁A ▁is ▁a ▁m ound ▁and ▁pla za ▁group ▁located ▁just ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁Great ▁Py ram id ▁( Comple x ▁C ). ▁The ▁center line ▁of ▁Complex ▁A ▁originally ▁orient ed ▁to ▁Pol aris ▁( true ▁north ) ▁which ▁indicates ▁the ▁Ol m ec ▁had ▁some ▁knowledge ▁of ▁astronom y . ▁S urr ounded ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁bas alt ▁columns , ▁which ▁likely ▁restricted ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁el ite , ▁it ▁was ▁ere cted ▁in ▁a ▁period