Pre-Egypt Technology

[Starbeast]

[J Riff]

The Pregyptians had super-saws, or assistance from elsewhere. That one carving looks like a really cool rocketship.*

[Starbeast]

There was definately some amazing construction going on thousands of years ago, not only in Egypt, but all over the world.

[Ursa major]

I doubt that the average human of 10000+ years ago was any less intelligent than his or her modern counterpart. What they lacked were numbers (of people) and the exponential increase in information and data.

Theirs are the shoulders on which all of us stand today.

[Nik]

Don't forget that soft copper plus desert sand makes an excellent saw for stone, and a bunch of patient folk armed with hammer-stones and copper chisels can carve anything...

[Vertigo]

As Nik says it has often been shown that, given time, cutting stone with copper and sand is fantastically precise and the early Egyptians had plenty of time during the annual floods when most of their construction was done. I actually watched and chatted with some French archeologists at Karnak a few years ago who were experimenting with such techniques, and they said they were constantly amazed by what they could achieve and how surprisingly quick and accurate their work had been considering their personal lack of skill and experience with such techniques.

Given such patience, it is astonishing what can be achieved with primitive tools; just take a look at the precision of Inca stone work.

[Starbeast]

Futher information from other places in the world about ancient building technology.

[J Riff]

I watch this, and Ancient Aliens is on TV at the same time.
I'm convinced, sold. Van Daniken is still selling and I think we should all be made to march forth and drag and sand huge stone blocks and build various edifices, all fifty times larger than the empire state building, just to show our good intentions before they arrive, which they obviously will, soon, any old time now. Imagine the buildings they will show us how to make this time. Ten-mile tall ailen casinos.

[Ursa major]

Originally Posted by J Riff

Ten-mile tall ailen casinos.

Am I the only one who suspects that this is a lot of spin...?





(And not just a lot; more a lottery.... )

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by J Riff

I'm convinced, sold. I think we should show our good intentions before they arrive, which they obviously will, soon, any old time now.

"A great deal of ancient tribes who speak of aliens from beyond our planet, also mention that the aliens promised to return. And when they return to Earth, humankind will be quite surprised." - anonymous

You're correct J Riff, it could be anytime now..................

[J Riff]

One 3.5 ton block every 8.5 minutes, 24 hrs. a day for 100 years. And the one in Bosnia is bigger.
The more one looks at the giant stone structures, and the lack of detailed history of same, the spookier it gets.

[Starbeast]

Originally Posted by J Riff

One 3.5 ton block every 8.5 minutes, 24 hrs. a day for 100 years. And the one in Bosnia is bigger.
The more one looks at the giant stone structures, and the lack of detailed history of same, the spookier it gets.

Spooky is the word, because that is how I felt when I learned about Puma Punku in Bolivia, it's located 4000 meters above sea level, and one of the biggest stones used there weighs 800 tons. Also, the types of stone that was used to create the interlocking pieces, were granite and diorite.

[Starbeast]

It's obvious that some incredible natural catastrophy destroyed Puma Punku,
literally obliteratng this oldest known city on Earth.

[Ursa major]

Originally Posted by Starbeast

It's obvious that some incredible natural catastrophy destroyed Puma Punku, literally obliteratng this oldest known city on Earth.

According to Pumapunku - Age, the complex is no older than the fifth century AD, which hardly qualifies as "oldest-known".

Not that this takes away from the effort and ingenuity shown by those who moved stone blocks ranging up to 131 tonnes in weight.

[Nik]

I was recently arguing with some-one about the Stonehenge Bluestones which had apparently been hauled down from the Welsh hills, across the English Channel and up to Stonehenge.

When he wondered how such monsters could be shipped in leather & wicker boats, I suggested log rafts. When he wondered how rafts could have been kept stable, I suggested slinging their rock load underneath. Given the estuary's famous tidal range, there would be no problem hauling a laden frame far enough down a firm beach that would leave it submerged save for tie-ropes at mid tide...

In fact, given several high tides and some temporary river weirs made by driving big stakes and placing hide-covered wicker screens, you could float each laden raft almost to Stonehenge's doorstep...