My apologies if anything I post is hard to follow, I sometimes find it hard to explain my thoughts.
I wish to propose a method which results in no visible remains of construction method and just wanted to see what you all thought.
The main theories of ramps being used to build the pyramids are either 1) a single long ramp or 2) a spiral ramp, both of which have been discounted I believe. There has also been a theory of an internal spiral ramp, but I personally am not convinced of this.
My proposal is based on the following known facts ...
- The average size of a block was 50" by 50" by 27", with a weight of around 5,500lbs.
- There are around 2,300,00 blocks, ignoring the large blocks weighing tens of tons.
- I found a study stating that 18 men could drag an average block up a 1:4 ramp (~14 degrees) at around 1ft per second.
OVERVIEW IMAGE
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CLOSE UP IMAGE
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Some details about my attached images ...
- Each horizontal layer/tier/slice is 27" tall, the thickness of the average block.
- The overall width of the steps/slopes is 100ft from side to side
- The flat surface at either end of the slopes is 25ft long by 14ft deep
- The slopes are 50ft long (horizontally) with a rise of 9ft (vertically) and are 7ft deep.
- The slopes are 10.2 degrees (so 4 degrees lower than in the study mentioned above)
MAIN CONSTRUCTION
As each layer of the pyramid is constructed, the stepped part of the structure is also constructed, with the material used for the light blue sections being made of the same material as the facing blocks (yellowish), and the material for the reddish sections being whatever was available (slopes are also added at the same time).
These stepped/sloped sections are repeated up the entire pyramid, most likely on all four faces, and due to them being constructed at the same time as each layer, there are no obstructions which would get in the way of observations to keeping the pyramid square and level.
With a team of 18 men on each slope, a block could then be pulled up the slope and then moved inwards so it ended up at the bottom of the next slope, with the team then returning to the bottom of their slope to pull up the next block, which would have been delivered by the lower team.
At roughly 30 layers from the top (67.5ft) of the pyramid, the width of the stairs/slopes would need to be reduced.
FINISHING CONSTRUCTION
Once the pyramid had been completed, each layer of the reddish sections of steps/slopes would have been removed one at a time, with the light blue facing stones being trimmed back to match the existing facing stones (yellowish), leaving no trace of the steps/slopes construction.
Therefore, once all steps/slopes had been removed and facing stones duly trimmed, you would have a complete pyramid with no sign of any ramps.
HOW WERE THE MASSIVE BLOCKS RAISED
To my mind the obvious answer is that they were raised along with the rest of the pyramid, i.e. they knew what they were building, they knew how they were going to build it and they knew what was required.
So, the massive blocks were prepared for use at the start of construction and were then were placed in the middle of the pyramid, with each block being lifted as each layer neared completion.
The method of lifting massive blocks has been demonstrated to be relatively simple, i.e. by placing the block on a
central pivot point and tilting it to one side, a gap then opens up which can then be packed with extra material, and as it is tilted the other way (onto the extra packing) a similar gap is opened at the other side and duly packed.
HOW LONG TO BUILD USING THIS METHOD
Concentrating on the 2,300,000 average sized blocks ...
One block would take about 1 minute to pull up the slope (roughly 51ft), we'll be generous and give them 4 minutes, so once at the top you would have a block available every 4 minutes, also giving 4 minutes to place each block.
= 4 blocks lifted and placed every 4 minutes (1 block per face and 4 faces)
= 60 blocks every hour
= 480 blocks per 8 hour day
= 86,400 blocks over 180 days per year, with 185 days off
= 26.6 years
Increase the hours worked per day to 10 and the time reduces to 21.3 years, and it will keep reducing if you increase the hours per day and/or days worked per year.
Hopefully I've not just proposed something which has already been proposed!
Any and all thoughts welcomed :)
EDIT: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS (STEPS/SLOPES)
After discussion of my proposal with a friend and a flash of inspiration, I've come up with an addition to my proposal.
As they were working on the upper part of the pyramid they could have removed the steps/slopes from say two or three faces, finishing those faces in the process, with the steps/slopes material then being used in the construction of the upper part of the pyramid.
It makes perfect sense, you create material to be used temporarily in one part of the construction, then re-use it in another part of the construction, so the only waste would come from the facing blocks being trimmed.
EDIT: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS (MOVING THE BLOCKS)
Although my proposal for the blocks being dragged up the 10 degree slopes by about 18 men is sound, I've another suggestion which I think would require less brute strength.
If use were made of A-frames or something similar, then the followings method could have been used ...
- A frame would be placed above the block with a rope attached to the top of the frame.
- One team of men (up the slope) would then pull on the rope, thereby lifting/swinging the block forwards up the slope.
- Another team of men would then advance the frame up the slope, again positioning it above the block.
- This would be repeated until the block is at the top of the slope.
This method could also be used to move the block sideways to the bottom of the next slope.
I wish to propose a method which results in no visible remains of construction method and just wanted to see what you all thought.
The main theories of ramps being used to build the pyramids are either 1) a single long ramp or 2) a spiral ramp, both of which have been discounted I believe. There has also been a theory of an internal spiral ramp, but I personally am not convinced of this.
My proposal is based on the following known facts ...
- The average size of a block was 50" by 50" by 27", with a weight of around 5,500lbs.
- There are around 2,300,00 blocks, ignoring the large blocks weighing tens of tons.
- I found a study stating that 18 men could drag an average block up a 1:4 ramp (~14 degrees) at around 1ft per second.
OVERVIEW IMAGE
CLOSE UP IMAGE
Some details about my attached images ...
- Each horizontal layer/tier/slice is 27" tall, the thickness of the average block.
- The overall width of the steps/slopes is 100ft from side to side
- The flat surface at either end of the slopes is 25ft long by 14ft deep
- The slopes are 50ft long (horizontally) with a rise of 9ft (vertically) and are 7ft deep.
- The slopes are 10.2 degrees (so 4 degrees lower than in the study mentioned above)
MAIN CONSTRUCTION
As each layer of the pyramid is constructed, the stepped part of the structure is also constructed, with the material used for the light blue sections being made of the same material as the facing blocks (yellowish), and the material for the reddish sections being whatever was available (slopes are also added at the same time).
These stepped/sloped sections are repeated up the entire pyramid, most likely on all four faces, and due to them being constructed at the same time as each layer, there are no obstructions which would get in the way of observations to keeping the pyramid square and level.
With a team of 18 men on each slope, a block could then be pulled up the slope and then moved inwards so it ended up at the bottom of the next slope, with the team then returning to the bottom of their slope to pull up the next block, which would have been delivered by the lower team.
At roughly 30 layers from the top (67.5ft) of the pyramid, the width of the stairs/slopes would need to be reduced.
FINISHING CONSTRUCTION
Once the pyramid had been completed, each layer of the reddish sections of steps/slopes would have been removed one at a time, with the light blue facing stones being trimmed back to match the existing facing stones (yellowish), leaving no trace of the steps/slopes construction.
Therefore, once all steps/slopes had been removed and facing stones duly trimmed, you would have a complete pyramid with no sign of any ramps.
HOW WERE THE MASSIVE BLOCKS RAISED
To my mind the obvious answer is that they were raised along with the rest of the pyramid, i.e. they knew what they were building, they knew how they were going to build it and they knew what was required.
So, the massive blocks were prepared for use at the start of construction and were then were placed in the middle of the pyramid, with each block being lifted as each layer neared completion.
The method of lifting massive blocks has been demonstrated to be relatively simple, i.e. by placing the block on a
central pivot point and tilting it to one side, a gap then opens up which can then be packed with extra material, and as it is tilted the other way (onto the extra packing) a similar gap is opened at the other side and duly packed.
HOW LONG TO BUILD USING THIS METHOD
Concentrating on the 2,300,000 average sized blocks ...
One block would take about 1 minute to pull up the slope (roughly 51ft), we'll be generous and give them 4 minutes, so once at the top you would have a block available every 4 minutes, also giving 4 minutes to place each block.
= 4 blocks lifted and placed every 4 minutes (1 block per face and 4 faces)
= 60 blocks every hour
= 480 blocks per 8 hour day
= 86,400 blocks over 180 days per year, with 185 days off
= 26.6 years
Increase the hours worked per day to 10 and the time reduces to 21.3 years, and it will keep reducing if you increase the hours per day and/or days worked per year.
Hopefully I've not just proposed something which has already been proposed!
Any and all thoughts welcomed :)
EDIT: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS (STEPS/SLOPES)
After discussion of my proposal with a friend and a flash of inspiration, I've come up with an addition to my proposal.
As they were working on the upper part of the pyramid they could have removed the steps/slopes from say two or three faces, finishing those faces in the process, with the steps/slopes material then being used in the construction of the upper part of the pyramid.
It makes perfect sense, you create material to be used temporarily in one part of the construction, then re-use it in another part of the construction, so the only waste would come from the facing blocks being trimmed.
EDIT: ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS (MOVING THE BLOCKS)
Although my proposal for the blocks being dragged up the 10 degree slopes by about 18 men is sound, I've another suggestion which I think would require less brute strength.
If use were made of A-frames or something similar, then the followings method could have been used ...
- A frame would be placed above the block with a rope attached to the top of the frame.
- One team of men (up the slope) would then pull on the rope, thereby lifting/swinging the block forwards up the slope.
- Another team of men would then advance the frame up the slope, again positioning it above the block.
- This would be repeated until the block is at the top of the slope.
This method could also be used to move the block sideways to the bottom of the next slope.