Very cool. We continue to underestimate the technological prowess of our ancestors, I think.
Like with the pyramids... They used cranes. I’m sure of it.
Sandhill or whooping?
Yah know, some years ago I saw someone try lifting a large (pyramid construction size) stone block using wedged, lever and building a ‘lincoln log’ style frame under it as the stone went up.
The experimenter thought it wasn’t a good way to do it, but I don’t think he wast going about it properly. That is he was using whatever odd size of wood they had lying around and it was their first crack at doing this.
I would bet good money that if properly squared timbers were used, and a crew of men had a chance to practice and master the technique, a huge stone block could be raised rather easily.
It seems to me that if you can raise a block five feet and then pull it forward five feet, you can raise blocks in a staircase fashion as high as you please.
That should have read “wedges and levers”
It was a Nova special on ancient construction, I think.
It was a while ago.