Talking Pyramids

Theories on how the ancient egyptian pyramids were built appear in the news from time to time. Recently at an Egyptology and Papyrology conference the ‘Herodotus Machines’ theory was put to the test.

In ‘Histories’ Herodotus described a series of levers used to raise blocks to build the pyramid:

This pyramid was made after the manner of steps which some called “rows” and others “bases”: and when they had first made it thus, they raised the remaining stones with machines made of short pieces of timber, raising them first from the ground to the first stage of the steps, and when the stone got up to this it was placed upon another machine standing on the first stage, and so from this it was drawn to the second upon another machine; for as many as were the courses of the steps, so many machines there were also, or perhaps they transferred one and the same machine, made so as easily to be carried, to each stage successively, in order that they might take up the stones; for let it be told in both ways, according as it is reported.
– Herodotus, Histories 2,124 ff

In what is claimed to be a world first, the ‘Herodotus Machines’ have been recreated, or rather, reinterpreted to test the theory. Experts in construction techniques from the Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering, in collaboration with Iveco, which has funded part of experiment, created a ten metre long model of the Grand Gallery to enable them to understand how the machines might have worked.

The modern model of the machine, which is capable of moving blocks weighing up to five tonnes with the strength of just one man, was submitted to the Scientific Committee of the Foundation of the Egyptian Museum during the national conference of Egyptology and Papyrology. For the construction of the pyramid of Khufu, however, it is assumed that heavy blocks weighing as much as up to 45 tonnes were raised with the strength of just three or four men.

According to Faraggiana, the Grand Gallery is not a ceremonial hall as claimed by some Egyptologists. Instead, he suggests the 26 niches that can be seen on either side of the inclined corridor leading to the burial chamber were not used to hold commemorative statues, but were used to allow these “short peices of timber” mentioned by Herodotus, to lever the blocks up the ramp.

Source: Reconstruction from Politecnico of the ‘machine’ with which the Egyptians built the Pyramids

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