Ancient Egypt's Pyramids: Norwegian Researcher Unlocks Construction Secrets

Science Daily ^ | 24 Sep 2010 | Science Daily

[Palter]

Scientists from around the world have tried to understand how the Egyptians erected their giant pyramids. Now, an architect and researcher at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) says he has the answer to this ancient, unsolved puzzle.

Researchers have been so preoccupied by the weight of the stones that they tend to overlook two major problems: How did the Egyptians know exactly where to put the enormously heavy building blocks? And how was the master architect able to communicate detailed, highly precise plans to a workforce of 10,000 illiterate men?

A 7-million-ton structure

These were among the questions that confronted Ole J. Bryn, an architect and associate professor in NTNU's Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art when he began examining Khufu's Great Pyramid in Giza. Khufu's pyramid, better known as the Pyramid of Cheops, consists of 2.3 million limestone blocks weighing roughly 7 million tons. At 146.6 meters high, it held the record as the tallest structure ever built for nearly 4000 years.

What Bryn discovered was quite simple. He believes that the Egyptians invented the modern building grid, by separating the structure's measuring system from the physical building itself, thus introducing tolerance, as it is called in today's engineering and architectural professions.

The apex point a key

Bryn has studied the plans from the thirty oldest Egyptian pyramids, and discovered a precision system that made it possible for the Egyptians to reach the pyramid's last and highest point, the apex point, with an impressive degree of accuracy. By exploring and making a plan of the pyramid it is possible to prepare modern project documentation of not just one, but all pyramids from any given period.

[snowsislander]

I'm not familiar with diurite. What's the chemistry there?

I think the poster meant diorite.

[EVO X]

http://www.materials.drexel.edu/Pyramids/

[allmost]

Thank you for the clarification. Extra hard granite with sporadic impurities. I can’t imagine hand grinding a vase out of that. In my pampered modern existence it seems almost sadistic.

[Cronos]

I don’t believe they were slaves — it took 20 years to build the grand pyramid of Khufu and this suggests that it was more during the Niles flooding season when farmers had free time, when they were involved in this national building. The population of ancient Egypt c. 2200 BC wouldn’t have had enough to sustain a large population of slaves. Also, these weren’t Hebrew or Semitic — they would come later during the time of the Hyksos

[Cronos]

or, there's an alternate theory :)

Dinosaurs helped build the pyramids, school director says

[allmost]

Egypt was a society filled with slaves. I've heard the attempts at rewriting history, paid for by the Egyptian government, by Hawass. To say they weren't utilized sounds a bit ludicrous.

[allmost]

Barney’s got a cool hat. :)

[Dusty Road]

One method not mentioned here is copper saw blades, they were used to cut flint that was then pressure flaked to produce some of the most beautiful blades known. Limestone wouldn't be much of a problem. These flint blades came from Egypt.

[ontap]

I believe he is saying each individual block was poured.regards!!

[Chode]

i'd love to see a strength test... poured anything with that much weight on top of it and not crumbling

[Sherman Logan]

No doubt Egypt had a lot of slaves. That they were used exclusively on the pyramids seems unlikely. As others have pointed out, there are long periods in the Egyptian year when the farmers (the vast majority of the people) were sitting around with nothing to do.

Why not apply a labor tax to them and get some good out of this otherwise wasted (from Pharoah’s perspective) time? Meanwhile his slaves, a capital investment, probably had other regular duties.

[SunkenCiv]

· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach · · join list or digest · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post a topic · subscribe ·
	Antiquity Journal  & archive  Archaeologica  Archaeology  Archaeology Channel  BAR  Bronze Age Forum  Discover  Dogpile  Eurekalert  Google  LiveScience  Mirabilis.ca  Nat Geographic  PhysOrg  Science Daily  Science News  Texas AM  Yahoo  Excerpt, or Link only?	Thanks Palter. He hasn't really shown anything, other than a need for modern cranes in ancient Egypt. :') great pyramid site:freerepublic.com Google To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
· History topic · history keyword · archaeology keyword · paleontology keyword · · Science topic · science keyword · Books/Literature topic · pages keyword ·

[seemoAR]

Maybe they imported Illegals. ;0)

[NYer]

What method was used to construct the pyramids in Mexico? Are the construction techniques similar or identical?

[Fresh Wind]

The REAL secret of the pyramids...

[bigheadfred]

Saw some of those blades in the Louvre. They are fantastic.

[ottbmare]

Your link goes to a google search page which does not show one reputable scholarly source, only links to people talking on forums and something from “Associated Content,” which publishes pretty much anything anybody wants to write, with or without substantiation. I see nothing verifiable there. Do you have some more credible source?

[AdmSmith]

This is against the thinking of our “friend”:

Zahi Hawass, head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, minced no words in assailing the concrete idea. “It’s highly stupid,” he said via a spokesman. “The pyramids are made from solid blocks of quarried limestone. To suggest otherwise is idiotic and insulting.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/world/africa/23iht-pyramid.1.12259608.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2

[AdmSmith]

Try the link at #22 http://www.materials.drexel.edu/Pyramids/

[ottbmare]

Thanks! Looks interesting.