Surprisingly, the answer is that they used simple machines - an inclined plane. All machines deal with forces, increasing the usefulness of forces.
Some machines transmit forces from one place to another.
Others magnify forces, so that a small effort can produce a large effect. Egyptians built ramps from the ground around the rising pyramid and dragged the blocks up the slope. However, it must be dragged farther to achieve the same lift. The raising of an object to a particular height requires a certain amount of work. The ramp makes life easier not be altering the amount of work that is needed, but by altering the way in which work is done.