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How were the pyramids built?

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Check out a book called, Forbibben Hostory.
And you may find out an answer.

Peace, Love, Understanding and Hope.
 
The pyramids were probably created with a combination of techniques including counterweights, levers, lubricated tracks, and ramps. Contrary to popular belief there are written texts describing construction techniques and wall paintings depicting the movement of large objects.

If this one man could accomplish these amazing feats of construction by himself using little muscle and mostly creative brain power imagine the capabilities of ancient Egyptians whose obsession with large scale projects forced them to improvise.

Most people don't bother to research the progressive development of construction techniques by preindustrial societies so they tend to believe that these wonderful structures just popped out of nowhere. The Great Pyramid was preceded by several smaller and different pyramid designs which they learned from. They made mistakes in projects such as the Bent Pyramid and learned from them to perfect their techniques on latter designs. The Bent Pyramid was preceded by simpler stepped pyramids.

see link for the Bent Pyramid: Bent Pyramid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ancient and medieval builders lacked the mathematical knowledge of structural analysis and had to go on intuition and experience. This means they often made mistakes and their buildings cracked or outright collapsed. The Bent Pyramid is a perfect example of trying to correct a mistake in the middle of construction. See the link above for explanation. Europeans who attempted to build progressively higher and higher gothic cathedrals also made many mistakes and some of their ambitious designs fell down. Over time they learned how thick masonry walls needed to be to support certain weights and came up with several ingenious techniques including flying buttresses to counter the lateral thrust of their high walls. You can see this at the Notre Dame cathedral.

What is truly amazing is how good experience and intuition can be for ancient builders. Structural analysis of the flying buttress systems developed for buildings such as Notre Dame show that the flying buttresses have just the right amount of taper and thickness along the length to match the structural loads their were carrying. This was all done without computers and sophisticated math. Of course it did take the collapse of buildings and the deaths of many workers before they got things right.
 
The construction techniques of ancient civilizations is a great example of how knowledge can be lost over time. Though we may not know exactly how things were built doesn't mean there is a supernatural reason behind it.

What example do we have of a major lost technology? Concrete. The Romans used concrete in many projects including buildings and seaport docks. Concrete will set and harden underwater so it was ideal for building port docks for ships. They built the Pantheon which is a huge domed building in Rome with a large circular opening in the middle of the roof. See Pantheon, Rome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For 1,300 years the use and knowledge of concrete was lost until 1756. Thanks medieval dark agers! For many centuries the Pantheon was a marvel to Europeans who could not duplicate its construction techniques. They might have believed in angels helping the Romans.

While other civilizations throughout the world also developed similar concrete-like techniques the Pantheon is one of the few standing examples in such pristine condition.

If you ever get a chance visit the Pantheon and marvel at it's size and history. Grab a slice of pizza and a scoop of gelato and ignore the rude Romans.
 
Astroboy said:
The pyramids were probably created with a combination of techniques including counterweights, levers, lubricated tracks, and ramps. Contrary to popular belief there are written texts describing construction techniques and wall paintings depicting the movement of large objects.

If this one man could accomplish these amazing feats of construction by himself using little muscle and mostly creative brain power imagine the capabilities of ancient Egyptians whose obsession with large scale projects forced them to improvise.

Most people don't bother to research the progressive development of construction techniques by preindustrial societies so they tend to believe that these wonderful structures just popped out of nowhere. The Great Pyramid was preceded by several smaller and different pyramid designs which they learned from. They made mistakes in projects such as the Bent Pyramid and learned from them to perfect their techniques on latter designs. The Bent Pyramid was preceded by simpler stepped pyramids.

see link for the Bent Pyramid: Bent Pyramid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ancient and medieval builders lacked the mathematical knowledge of structural analysis and had to go on intuition and experience. This means they often made mistakes and their buildings cracked or outright collapsed. The Bent Pyramid is a perfect example of trying to correct a mistake in the middle of construction. See the link above for explanation. Europeans who attempted to build progressively higher and higher gothic cathedrals also made many mistakes and some of their ambitious designs fell down. Over time they learned how thick masonry walls needed to be to support certain weights and came up with several ingenious techniques including flying buttresses to counter the lateral thrust of their high walls. You can see this at the Notre Dame cathedral.

What is truly amazing is how good experience and intuition can be for ancient builders. Structural analysis of the flying buttress systems developed for buildings such as Notre Dame show that the flying buttresses have just the right amount of taper and thickness along the length to match the structural loads their were carrying. This was all done without computers and sophisticated math. Of course it did take the collapse of buildings and the deaths of many workers before they got things right.
Click to expand...

Well, perhaps. It's feasible, but it doesn't answer every question, and there are a lot of them. For example; the straightness of the Descending Passage, which over its full length only strays from a perfect line less than 7 millimeters. Or the precision with which the outer limestone layer was cut, to the point that, according to Herodotus in 440 BC, you could barely make out the seams when viewed up-close. Then there's the question of the north-face entrance, which consisted of a hinged stone that could be raised, but was eventually lost because when it was close, it was virtually indistinguishable from the other stones around it, it had been placed with such precision. From there, we move on to the question of the pyramid's correlation to astronomy, which I highly recommend you dig into if you have not already.

This doesn't even take into account the litany of personal experiences individuals have experienced at the pyramids. Believe me, there's a lot more to the question other than just "They practiced for a while, then they got it right."
 
Tony2013 said:
Well, perhaps. It's feasible, but it doesn't answer every question, and there are a lot of them.
Click to expand...

I don't presume to have all the answers only suggesting plausible explanations. I didn't say it's swamp gas. If you don't accept my suggestions well that is your right.

Tony2013 said:
For example; the straightness of the Descending Passage, which over its full length only strays from a perfect line less than 7 millimeters.
Click to expand...

There is nothing amazing about straight lines or near perfect geometry. Civilizations have been constructing buildings with accurate lines for centuries. Look at the Pantheon.

Let me put forth some simple tools that can be used to accurately make geometric shapes and alignments. Are these the answers? Possibly.

How can you make a perfectly straight line? Some simple methods which have been used since ancient times are strings, ropes, or chains. Pull these tight and you get a straight line between two points. Contractors today still use snap lines to establish floor lines. I almost never see contractors use lasers for basic line determination even when they are widely available and cheap.

How do you make a perfect circles? Use a thumb tack and a string. Secure one end with the thumb tack and the other end to a pencil near the lead point. Now pull the string taught and draw a circle. This principle works great at larger scales too as long as your rope material does not stretch too much. But you can always use a metal chain. You see this techniques used by Crop Circle hoaxers who use only rope, stakes, and wooden planks to pull of their intricate and sometimes beautiful works of art.

How do you make a perfect vertical? For vertical lines you use a plumb bob which is just a string and a pointed weight at the bottom. Let the string stop swinging and you get a perfect vertical line. This can also be used very accurately as a survey to draw a line out to a long distance. If you put a plumb bob on a stationary support you can get a person to stand hundreds of feet away and establish a straight line with similar accuracy as the pyramids. All other points in between can be checked for accuracy by following the vertical plumb line. This has been used since ancient times and is still used today.

How do you establish a perfect horizontal level? Simple, pour water into a basin of any size. Now take a marking tool and draw along the edges of the water mark. Voila! You've got a perfect level regardless of how crappy the basin is built. You can even make it easier for yourself by dying the water with come sort of coloring so it can stain the edges thereby drawing a perfectly flat line.

How do you make a perfect square? Make a rough square with strings. Now make two diagonal line from the corners. When you adjust the corners so that the two diagonals are exactly the same length then you got a perfect square. All corners are at 90 degrees. Where the two diagonals intersect is the exact center of the square.

How do you determine true North? Point a plumb bob toward the North star.

Tony2013 said:
Or the precision with which the outer limestone layer was cut, to the point that, according to Herodotus in 440 BC, you could barely make out the seams when viewed up-close.
Click to expand...

There are many examples of this type of precision throughout the ancient world in every continent. This is usually the one characteristic that baffles people the most. I've seen some of them myself and it is extraordinary craftsmanship. Is it impossible for men to create these joints? No.

A simple technique that again has been around since the dawn of construction and is still used today is called scribing. It looks like a compass that is used to draw small circles. One end has a pencil or marker. You can buy one at Home Depot. Put the intended matching edges of any material next to each other with one higher than the other. Holding a scribe perpendicular to the surface of the higher object trace the presmoothed edges of the vertical surface while drawing on top the second object's flat top. As you do so you will get a perfectly matching outline. Now you just need to chip away and smooth out the 2nd object along the line you've just drawn. This is how your countertops are tightly fitted against the wall. The guy who installed it may not be an alien but he may be illegal.

You could also create a form using mud such as this person suggests:
Incas' stone fitting

A former Architectural professor of mine tried an experiment to see how long and difficult it would take to make tight stone fittings like those found in Central America or Mexico. Going to one of the quarries there he discovered that with the use of just stone tools he could indeed make very tight joints. He was further surprised how in a few hours this was achievable. He didn't even use forms or scribes. Just his keen eye.

Tony2013 said:
From there, we move on to the question of the pyramid's correlation to astronomy, which I highly recommend you dig into if you have not already.
Click to expand...

I have seen just about every documentary there is about the construction of the pyramids. Damn you Tivo!

Correlation to the stars should not be surprising. Many ancient buildings throughout the world are designed to correlate to the stars. There are astronomical observatories in every ancient civilization in every continent. Watching the phases of the sun, moon, and stars are important to farming and predicting natural disasters such as the annual flooding of the Nile. Is the Great Pyramid the most amazing example of this. Not really. The Mayan Pyramid at Chichen-Itza is more amazing. At each equinox of the year the shadow cast along the stairs leading to the alter forms the body of a snake. This is truly a construction marvel. See: Chichen Itza Mexico - Mexican Caribbean Vacation Rentals Network - Kulkulkan Pyramid Messico

I do believe that the orientation of the Giza pyramids in relations to other construction site could be a representation of the sky map with the Nile representing the Milky Way.

Tony2013 said:
This doesn't even take into account the litany of personal experiences individuals have experienced at the pyramids.
Click to expand...

I can't speak to that. But I do get chills standing under the dome of the Pantheon.

Tony2013 said:
Believe me, there's a lot more to the question other than just "They practiced for a while, then they got it right."
Click to expand...

I'm sure there is. Like most problems there are multiple solutions. I don't have the definitive answer just proposing what I think are the simplest solutions to a construction challenge. The challenge is how does one achieve the given results of ancient builders without sophisticated tools and machinery.

By the way, Mexicans and Egyptians find it extremely insulting to their culture that they were incapable of building great structures.

I would agree in the sense that most people like to think of ancient humans as a bunch of knuckleheads with no skills or imagination. However, there is absolutely no proof that humans are any smarter than they were 3000 years ago. We have more knowledge but this doesn't imply superior intellect.

The more research that is done about ancient cultures the more we find out that modern humans didn't invent a lot of things. We simply re-invented them. Watch the History Channel sometime. They've got a great series called "What the Ancients Knew."

I do find the Nazca lines very, very interesting.
 
Astroboy, I would love to pick your brain about this stuff. Sounds like you've got some really impressive experience... are you an architect, historian? I'm a Lit. major who has read a bunch of stuff, so in that sense I wouldn't pass the Ascham litmus test.
 
Tony2013 said:
Astroboy, I would love to pick your brain about this stuff. Sounds like you've got some really impressive experience... are you an architect, historian? I'm a Lit. major who has read a bunch of stuff, so in that sense I wouldn't pass the Ascham litmus test.
Click to expand...

Hi Tony2013,

I spent many years as an Architect and I do have a passion for history. I am also a techie oriented artist whose spent many sleepless hours working in 3D art and the web.

You can glean a lot from your literature experience even in this nutty paranormal field. You should know how wonderfully creative and intelligent humans can be. And how awfully monstrous and stupid they can be. We get Socrates, Aristotle, Homer and then we get Hitler, Stalin, and Bill Oreilly.
 
That's some interesting info, Astroboy. Any ideas about why they built them? Seems like a lot of effort just to entomb some pharaohs, but then, like you said, humans can be awfully monstrous and stupid.
 
a better question than 'how were the pyramids built?' would be 'how was baalbek built' seeing as some of those stones were far more massive than any in the pyramids.
 
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