Teh One Who Knocks
12-07-2020, 12:40 PM
By CALLUM HOARE - The Express
https://i.imgur.com/BK5XV5m.png
AN EGYPT expert is ready to drill into the Great Pyramid and prove his theory on the "true nature" of how the ancient monument was built.
Located on the Giza Plateau, the magnificent structure is believed to have been constructed roughly 4,500 years ago for the Pharaoh Khufu. Various theories have been put forward surrounding how the Egyptians of the Fourth Dynasty managed to create such a masterpiece which has stood the test of time, remaining largely intact. Most archaeologists believe the 2.3 million limestone blocks estimated to fill the Great Pyramid were cut and transported from a nearby quarry and positioned into place using a large external ramp.
But that is “nonsense,” according to structural engineer Peter James, who has spent the last 14 years working on preserving the historic buildings and temples of Egypt with his company Cintec.
He claimed in his book ‘Saving the Pyramids: Twenty First Century Engineering and Egypt's Ancient Monuments,' that “the theory is based on assumptions".
Mr James believes experts have overestimated the number of blocks.
Instead, he puts forward a different theory, stating the method would have been “to construct the inner fill initially with large blocks to consolidate the foundation area”.
https://i.imgur.com/3lB3k5q.png
He believes the Egyptians would have then used “internal ramps” to construct the walls, filling the interior with “small stones and any rubbish the builders wanted to hide that could be used effectively”.
He explained: “The outer core would have a greater thickness at the base and slightly less as the structure narrows at the apex to a single block.
“These would have been built concurrently with the inner core, but slightly lower to facilitate the placement of the larger blocks that would have been moved up the traversing roadways via one of the centrally formed entrances.
“The ramps would not need to be very wide and could have been small palm trees embedded into the surface to provide a sliding mechanism to assist the craftsman transporting and placing the stones.
“As the pyramid extended in height the outer core stones were reduced in size and the ascending ramps adjusted to the angle and size necessary to transport the core blocks.”
Mr James believes that “the internal fill is a mixture of materials and not the block work that is visible on the outer core”.
And he explained why a probe of the pyramid’s base in the 18th century with gunpowder could support such a claim.
He added that the “gash exposed a jumble of large blocks that were neither coursed nor aligned” within the pyramid.
Moreover, the Newport-based engineer has tabled an offer to the Egyptian authorities.
He added: “There is an easy way to prove this theory, and I would volunteer to carry out the work at no charge to the Egyptian authorities.
“We could diamond-drill 100mm core holes into the pyramid at varying heights to a depth of 20 to 30 metres and provide a drilling log on all the contents of the bored holes to establish the true nature of the fill.
“The drilling would be done with the latest dry-drilling technique to prevent damage to the pyramid, and the core plugged and filled to match the external appearance.
“The entire intervention could be catalogued using a drain camera to record the full length of the drilled holes.
“The hole would be made good using a suitable lime grout.”
https://i.imgur.com/BK5XV5m.png
AN EGYPT expert is ready to drill into the Great Pyramid and prove his theory on the "true nature" of how the ancient monument was built.
Located on the Giza Plateau, the magnificent structure is believed to have been constructed roughly 4,500 years ago for the Pharaoh Khufu. Various theories have been put forward surrounding how the Egyptians of the Fourth Dynasty managed to create such a masterpiece which has stood the test of time, remaining largely intact. Most archaeologists believe the 2.3 million limestone blocks estimated to fill the Great Pyramid were cut and transported from a nearby quarry and positioned into place using a large external ramp.
But that is “nonsense,” according to structural engineer Peter James, who has spent the last 14 years working on preserving the historic buildings and temples of Egypt with his company Cintec.
He claimed in his book ‘Saving the Pyramids: Twenty First Century Engineering and Egypt's Ancient Monuments,' that “the theory is based on assumptions".
Mr James believes experts have overestimated the number of blocks.
Instead, he puts forward a different theory, stating the method would have been “to construct the inner fill initially with large blocks to consolidate the foundation area”.
https://i.imgur.com/3lB3k5q.png
He believes the Egyptians would have then used “internal ramps” to construct the walls, filling the interior with “small stones and any rubbish the builders wanted to hide that could be used effectively”.
He explained: “The outer core would have a greater thickness at the base and slightly less as the structure narrows at the apex to a single block.
“These would have been built concurrently with the inner core, but slightly lower to facilitate the placement of the larger blocks that would have been moved up the traversing roadways via one of the centrally formed entrances.
“The ramps would not need to be very wide and could have been small palm trees embedded into the surface to provide a sliding mechanism to assist the craftsman transporting and placing the stones.
“As the pyramid extended in height the outer core stones were reduced in size and the ascending ramps adjusted to the angle and size necessary to transport the core blocks.”
Mr James believes that “the internal fill is a mixture of materials and not the block work that is visible on the outer core”.
And he explained why a probe of the pyramid’s base in the 18th century with gunpowder could support such a claim.
He added that the “gash exposed a jumble of large blocks that were neither coursed nor aligned” within the pyramid.
Moreover, the Newport-based engineer has tabled an offer to the Egyptian authorities.
He added: “There is an easy way to prove this theory, and I would volunteer to carry out the work at no charge to the Egyptian authorities.
“We could diamond-drill 100mm core holes into the pyramid at varying heights to a depth of 20 to 30 metres and provide a drilling log on all the contents of the bored holes to establish the true nature of the fill.
“The drilling would be done with the latest dry-drilling technique to prevent damage to the pyramid, and the core plugged and filled to match the external appearance.
“The entire intervention could be catalogued using a drain camera to record the full length of the drilled holes.
“The hole would be made good using a suitable lime grout.”