Archaeologica.org

Forum Monk wrote:Geesh Beag, when you were at Ma'at why didn't you bring this link back with you?

http://khufu.3ds.com/introduction/

I obviously didn't want anybody here to see it.

Wow, that's a neat animation. The caracature of Houdin is speaking French though. That ruined it for me.

I have not subscribed to any further updates. If anyone else does maybe he/she could keep us posted.

Really?
At the beginning you could select the language. I chose english because unlike you, I don't know french

Not what I meant.

I chose English as well. But the dude moving his lips was speaking French.
It was just an observation.

When I went over to Maat to find the link, it looked like some had already immediately dismissed the concept. I wonder why? What do the people on this board think about it? Plausible? In keeping with AE ways?

Not in 20yrs!

Well, in the animation, there was a block coming up that ramp about once per minute or less.

So? Now start at the other end Monk, how many men would you need to quarry the blocks, dress the blocks, prepare the tools, move the blocks to the Nile, load them aboard boats, move along the river, unload at the other end, move them to the site, make the boats, cut the material to make the boats, make the tools at the building site, produce ropes, fetch and carry water, make the water vessels, mine the clay for the vessels, produce the food and drink for all these people, grow the crops for the clothing, erect houses for them and carry out the administration for all this all within a supposed 20 yr period.
In addition there was an army to maintain, the royal household etc etc. Just how many AEs were there?
And a final question. Why in God's name did they use such large blocks anyway? Were they a race of masochists or something?

Forum Monk wrote:Well, in the animation, there was a block coming up that ramp about once per minute or less.

If I were programming the animation I bet I could make it do whatever the hell I wanted it to as well.

Yes, you could Min. But there is a difference between an animation and a simulation. In the latter, you are trying to prove the feasibility of something by modeling the process in a precise way. I wouldn't go out to the world with a cheap animation and try to convince everyone "I solved the riddle of the pyramids".

Simulations, animations, special effects, hypotheses, and guess work are all fine.

I'd still like to see someone actually utilize the methods they claim the Egyptians used and build something.

JApanese engineers tried in the 70's and failed miserably.

Marc Lehner tried to cut and move an obelisk some time later and failed miserably.

There's an old saying: Everything is easy for the guy who doesn't have to do it himself.

A while back, somebody came up with this hairball statement.
http://archaeologica.boardbot.com/viewt ... ramp#26667

if one assumes the 2 million blocks and the 20 year time constraint, and the 2 minute per block rate required, a single ramp would have been unfeasible. Unless the ramp was integral part of the structure of itself, winding around like a serpentine road on a mountain.

At the time he didn't believe there was evidence for the integral ramp because he didn' think to look inside the pyramid.

I'm thinking now, its the best possibility I have ever seen.

Then there should be similar anomalies on the other pyramids.

If there was a consensus that this method was employed in the construction of the GP, are we to assume that the same method was used in later pyramids?

Just following up on your statement Min.

At least Khafre and Menkaure's.

Let's face it, most of the later dynasty pyramids are nothing more than piles of rubble....whatever method was used to build them.

What about Sneferu's pyramids? Perhaps they have an early draft of the system?

Too often the ideas put forward for this task are by archaeologists with no prcatical experience of the problems involved.
Having said that it all too easy for me as an engineer to shoot holes, but at the same time I can suggest no way the job could have been done in the assumed 20 yr period.
The av size of block is listed as weighing 2 tons, this a lot of weight to handle safely with primitive equipment. Halving the dimensions increases the area to be dressed by 400%, so logically they would go for the largest weight they could handle easily.
I believe the 20 yr time is incorrect.
The builders seem to have erected the structure without imposing great difficulties on either their population or fiscal arangements, unlike the GW of China. This would seem to involve using a small percentage of the population, this extends the time scale.
One thing I am absolute certain of, the man in charge of the project was the greatest civil engineer the world has ever seen, bar none!