Product Description
The building process of the Egyptian pyramids has been the subject of many publications. However, a thorough review of this literature reveals that only certain aspects of this process have been studied in isolation, without taking into account the interaction between various activities involved, such as quarrying, transportation and building and without a sound quantitative basis. The present study aims at filling this gap by means of an integrated mathematical model. Attention is focussed on the largest pyramid, the one built by Cheops. The model simulates an efficient project co-ordination by balancing supply and demand of the building material, with all the activities related to the growth of the pyramid and by assuming a constant total workforce. It enables the reader to determine the effect of different building methods and the productivity of the workers. Three building methods have been studied, successively making use of a linear ramp, of a spiral ramp and of levers. These methods are compared in terms of the number of men and man-years required. Calculations have been carried out for two sets of input data, indicated as base case and maximum case. ... Read more

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Who DID build the pyramid? In this innovative nonfiction title, everyone from the mighty king to the lowly water carrier claims to have built this massive monument. And whether you’re asking the high priest or the stone mason, each person has a good reason to claim credit for a real pyramid that was built more than four thousand years ago. With lively text and bold illustrations, Meredith Hooper and Robin Heighway-Bury create an unusual, carefully researched look at one of the wonders of ancient Egypt. Meredith Hooper has worked with Egyptologists at the British Museum in London and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to create this story—and fact-filled endnotes provide even more fascinating information. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great intro to Ancient Egypt
I teach preschool age children---for two years I've taught Egypt and read this to them---they LOVE it! The art is bold, so are the characters! Everyone has a right to claim---they built the pyramid. This story invites all sorts of questions from the kids, such as, "why is that mans face like that? Why is that man darker than the others? Why are they wearing diapers?" :)
Which, thrillingly, invites discussion answers, such as, "that man is pulling a huge stone up a ramp. Hes big because its hard work, hes sweaty because its hot in the desert and hes dark from being in the sun all day with hardly any clothes on....etc"
"See the river in the background? Thats the Nile! Remember, the river that flows upwards?"
I also liked the part where they DO mention that you can't fit a piece of paper between each stone block of the pyramid. Another amazing fact that just happens to be in there and contributes to the overall quality.
The story takes a page from each person who might have contributed to the entire construction of a pyramid, from Pharoah down to water carrier. At the end of the book, there are some pictures of what the pyramid and Senwosret the Pharoah looked like. Enjoyable for a variety of childhood ages and levels. The kids really pick up on the theme and are educated at the same time----hey, why aren't there more books like this out there??? ... Read more

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Look Inside a Pyramid is a Capstone Press publication.

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Peter Hodges rejects the long-held view that ramps were used to build the pyramids; his alternative is that it could all have been done with levers. This book explains how and why.

Contents: List of tables and maps; Foreword; 1. A new look at the pyramids; 2. Previous building theories; 3. Raising the stones at Giza; 4. The craftsmen and their skills; 5. Setting out a pyramid; 6. The anatomy of the pyramids; 7. Building stepped pyramids; 8. Building the Great Pyramid; 9. Casing the pyramids; 10 Further aspects; Appendix; Ramps; Levers; References; Index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A nice try ... but not convincing
A good try at advancing an alternate explanation of using levers to raise the stones of the pyramids .... alas it falls short of the much more accepted use of ramps. Hodges argues against the use of ramps wrapped around the pyramid and using the stepped parts of the incomplete pyramid as a foundation for the ramp/s. He said this would not work because it would not allow for enough room at the corners of the pyramid to manouvere the sleds around the corners .... hmmmm .... interesting argument but he does not seem to allow for the fact that it is an easy thing to make the corners larger by using the lower steps of the pyramid - as you go up higher you have a wider stepped pattern below for you to use as a foundation. Also how does he account for the huge quantity of loose soil, sand and limestone in the nearby quarry - this has to be the material dumped there after the ramps were dismantled? There are also remains of ramps on various pyramids across Egypt.

It is great to see people from different professions/trades put forward different ideas .... but not sure this one provides us with a good alternative.

A no nonsense look at pyramid building
I picked this one up on a recommendation from one of the more esoteric pyramid texts, a recommendation that noted the author's credentials behind his simple theory that human powered levers alone could be used to elevate even the largest stones found in Egyptian pyramids.

The text is not as comprehensive as I'd hoped.The third pyramid at Giza is barely explored, nor does the text address placing the large granite stones found in the "King's Chamber" and elsewhere.Nevertheless author Peter Hodges does a convincing job (and I needed to be convinced!) that indeed four guys and some jacks could muster the effort and, given enough time and teams, could construct these giant monuments.

As a bonus the book is full of diagrams and pictures demonstrating the author's ideas in many stages, all the way from table top model to lifting a car using his principles.I'm not sure this theory explains every bit of pyramid construction but it does a credible job in defending that portion of it far better than the often proposed ramps.(Ramp theories are effectively reduced to rubble both in the text and in additional material included by editor Julian Keable.)

Somewhat dated in language and tone, the material is still accessible and worthwhile for any seriously study of these magnificent human accomplishments. ... Read more

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A look at the world's greatest tomb, with a description of how it was built and the engineering feats involved in its construction. During the course of this book the Egyptian attitudes to their pharoahs is approached as well as the significance of death, mummies and pyramids. The book offers an approach to history which includes technology and an exact explanation of how they were built. The design features fully bled photographs, cutaway artworks of the constrcution process, tinted backdrops and panels. ... Read more

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Turn the page and take a step back in time!

Customer Reviews (1)

Good but one major flaw
If you are getting this for "reluctant readers," you will find that this has clearly written text and easy on the eyes drawings, and may be a help for teaching Ancient Egyptian history because of this.

However, the artist assigns word balloons that should read left-to-right in one panel, then right-to-left in a few, the down-to-up--you get the idea. For people struggling with reading in the first place this will cause fatigue and self-blame ("I can't make sense of this thing!")

I look forward to more of this series, especially if the artist makes up his mind. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Science Weekly, published by Thomson Gale on February 2, 2006. The length of the article is 4648 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Pyramids.
Publication: Science Weekly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 2, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 22Issue: 8Page: 1(12)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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A world-class engineer explains for the first time how the Great Pyramid was actually built.

Going beyond even the expertise of archaeologists and historians, world-class engineer Craig Smith takes an in-depth look at the Great Pyramid of Giza as a massive engineering and construction project. How would the ancient Egyptians have developed their building plans, devised work schedules, managed laborers, solved specific design and engineering problems, or even improvised on the job?The answers are here, along with dazzling, one-of-a-kind color photographs and beautiful hand-drawn illustrations of tools, materials, and building techniques the ancient masters used. In a walking tour of the construction of the Great Pyramid, Smith explains how the Egyptians looked carefully at earlier pyramids before planning this masterpiece; never again would they replicate its grandeur and perfection. In his foreword to the book, Egypt's undersecretary of state for the Giza Monuments explains the importance of understanding the Great Pyramid as a straightforward construction project. In his afterword, well-known Egyptian archaeologist Mark Lehner places Smith's work in the context of recent archaeological thinking about this magnificent and endlessly fascinating site. 32 color photographs, 50 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Mind-numbingly dull, curiously disorganized; graphic artist and ghost writer needed
Not as good as I expected.Construction manager's view of how the Great Pyramid was built takes the approach of the pyramid as a massive construction project.From this he does derive some interesting assumptions, but tells them in flat, number-jumbled prose that is not just mind-numbingly dull, but curiously disorganized.

He should have hired a ghost-writer and a graphic artist to work with him to sharpen up the narrative and illustrate the theories with better photographs and artist's drawings.

"Now I Know:
I have asked many people and read diferent versions of just how the pyrqmids were build.This seems to be the most plausable one and one I can relate to.Having climbed around on them and wondered just how many hands had been involved, I now have some answers to my questions.

Well Written
Craig B. Smith is not only an amazing man, but an excellent writer! I was fascinated by this book and the exceptional information it contained. I highly recommend it!

How The Great Pyramin Was Built
This is a great book!It is well written, covers a fascinating subject in an interesting manner, and is clear enough for non-engineers and scientists to enjoy.
Using modern engineering systems and concepts, Mr. Smith explores,in depth,the many issues involved in building the Great Pyramid at Giza. He covers the design, the materials and their transport, the actual construction, and the labor. As an added bonus, the author provides substantial information about ancient Egyptian life and death and explains how their culture affected the design and construction of the Great Pyramid.
Throughout the book, Mr. Smith lays out the known facts (with attributions), the conclusions he draws from those facts, and, most importantly, the reasoning that leads him to his conclusions.
For anyone who has ever wondered how an ancient society, lacking most modern tools and knowledge, was able to build a structure on this grand scale and have it last for 4,000 years, this is the book for you.

Excellent analysis
The reader will have one question in mind after finishing "How the Great Pyramid Was Built":is this a book about Ancient Egypt, utilizing the tools of project management?Or a book about project management, using the Great Pyramid as an extended example?However, the answer is probably moot.Both project managers and Egyptophiles will gain excellent insights from reading Craig Smith's book.Dr. Zahi Hawass, the director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, provides the foreword.The analysis of the necessary infrastructure and the organization of the workforce is throrough and engrossing.

This book is not for the alternative theorist, but rather for the historically- and archaeologically-minded reader.One minor quibble:Smith appears to assume that the Egyptians knew that a triangle with sides of unit length 3, 4, and 5 would form a right triangle, whereas Richard Gillings (Mathematics in the Time of the Pharaohs) firmly rejects this notion.Still, they would seem to have had some sort of square or carpenter's ell.The first chapter, a general historical survey of ancient Egypt, does not add anything new, but is a good reminder for the casual reader and serves to anchor the building of the Great Pyramid in its historical era.All in all, a fascinating analysis that belongs on the shelves of both project managers and those interested in Egypt's most famous monument. ... Read more

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Chapters: Architecture of Africa, Great Zimbabwe, Egyptian pyramids, Great Mosque of Djenné, Nubian architecture, Architecture of Somalia, Sankore Madrasah, Architecture of Ethiopia, Nubian pyramids, ArchiAfrika, Tomb of Askia, Sudano-Sahelian, Swahili architecture,. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 91. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The architecture of Africa, like other aspects of the culture of Africa, is exceptionally diverse. Many ethno-linguistic groups throughout the history of Africa have had their own architectural traditions. In some cases, broader styles can be identified, such as the Sahelian architecture of an area of West Africa. One common theme in much traditional African architecture is the use of fractal scaling: small parts of the structure tend to look similar to larger parts, such as a circular village made of circular houses. The Great Pyramids of Giza are regarded as one of the greatest architectural feats of all times, and one of Seven Wonders of the 'Ancient World'.As with most architectural traditions elsewhere, African architecture has been subject to numerous external influences from the earliest periods for which evidence is available. Western architecture has also had an impact on coastal areas since the late 15th century, and is now an important source for many larger buildings, particularly in major cities. African architecture uses a wide range of materials. One finds structures in thatch, stick/wood, mud, mudbrick, rammed earth, and stone, with a preference for materials by region: North Africa for stone and rammed earth, West Africa for mud/adobe, Central Africa thatch/wood and more perishable materials, East Africa varied, Southern Africa for stone and thatch/wood. A wall in North Africa might be built of stone or rammed earth, in West Africa mud/mu...http://booksllc.net/?id=2249390 ... Read more

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Pyramids from across the world are covered, from Mesopotamia to Mexico, from ancient times to modern constructions. The book portrays the erection of an ancient Egyptian pyramid and the split pages show changes of scene what life was like for those that built the pyramids around the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Slaves in Ancient Egypt - New information?
Pyramid, written by Henrietta McCall, published by Franklin Watts has me baffled.The book is nicely formatted and age appropriate.It focuses on the construction and uses of pyramids.Information is presented two ways.The first is through the main text, which is printed in larger typeunderneath each chapter heading.The second is through blocks of textwhich accompany illustrations.These bits of information are printed insmaller type. What baffles me is this statement on page 9 in one of thesesmaller text blocks, "There were no slaves in Ancient Egypt." This comes with no further explanation.What a bold statement to makewithout further verification about something that contradicts informationin other books written on Ancient Egypt. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting reading
The book is priced a little high, and as the author, I am well aware of that. You should find the new ideas of interest if you have an interest in the Great Pyramid. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Arts and Humanities Through the Eras, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2585 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Profiling milestones and movements in the arts, literature, music, and religion from a specific period that provides an understanding of the various disciplines of the humanities in relation to each other, as well as to history and culture. An overview of the period and a chronology of major world events covering the major branches of the humanities: architecture and design, dance, fashion, literature, music, philosophy, religion, theater, and visual arts. Articles cover the movements, schools of thought, and masterworks that characterize the discipline during the era and biographical profiles of pioneers, masters, and other prominent figures in the field. ... Read more