11 ms·

Sounds like a restoration project just waiting to happen.

by SubiculumCode 7y ago

soperj 7y ago
Yeah, that would be amazing. It would make them last a lot longer too.
- tantalor 7y ago
  Are they at risk of disintegrating?
  - _ph_ 7y ago
    Considering that they are 4500 years old, not anytime soon. Even without maintenance, they would last some more millenia. But if you look at the difference between how they look now and how they used to look, they have suffered quite a bit. Only because they are the most robust structure ever built by man, doesn't mean we should just watch slowly decay. Especially while most of their structure is still close to original, it would be a good time to restore them. Imagine, if for example the acropolis in Athens would have been kept in original state vs. mostly having decayed. All those wonders of the past we decided to keep, we should preserve, while it is still possible.
    - afthonos 7y ago
      To be clear, the Acropolis did not “decay”. It was blown up by the Venetians when they fired on the Parthenon, which at the time was used to store gunpowder.
      - _ph_ 7y ago
        Thanks, I didn't know that. But the world is full of ruins of great old places, which we try to preserve today, but had not been kept in shape when they were still close to their origininal state. I think old churches are one of the few exceptions.
        mcguire 7y ago
        "Beeldenstorm in Dutch (roughly "statue storm"), and Bildersturm in German ("image/statue storm") are terms used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th century, known in English as the Great Iconoclasm or Iconoclastic Fury. During these spates of iconoclasm, Catholic art and many forms of church fittings and decoration were destroyed in unofficial or mob actions by Calvinist Protestant crowds as part of the Protestant Reformation. Most of the destruction was of art in churches and public places." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeldenstorm?wprov=sfla1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeldenstorm?wprov=sfla1
        _ph_ 7y ago
        Sure, a lot of churches also got destroyed. Yet, a lot of churches are in a remarkably good state of preservation. They are not the only preserved buildings, but the most obvious ones. There are also a few roman aquaeducts preserved, like the one in Nimes, France. And if I am not mistaken, some of the water delivery to todays Rome still uses partially roman aquaeducts. Also, the Pantheon in Rome is in a remarkably great state.
        afthonos 7y ago
        The sad thing about the Parthenon (and the Acropolis in general) was that it had been well preserved until then, albeit with changes. It had successively been a church and a mosque. Unfortunately, the Acropolis was also the most defensible position in Athens, so it was (since its inception) a strategic outpost as well. :-(
    - JohnJamesRambo 7y ago
      Is pollution accelerating the decay at all?
      - kijin 7y ago
        Acid rain can't be good for limestone. At the size of the pyramids, though, I'm not sure if the effects would be noticeable at all. It also doesn't rain much in the desert.
_ph_ 7y ago
Yes indeed. If using the original technology, it really should be restored to its original state.
- cududa 7y ago
  ...by original technology do you mean thousands of slaves, or?
  - _ph_ 7y ago
    First of all, the pyramids were not built by slaves but ancient egyptians believed it to be their duty to help with the building of the pyramids. Second, I was referring to using original materials and processing. E.g. grinding and polishing slabs of limestone. This can of course be done by using modern machinerny. It only matters that the original materials and processing of the materials are maintained, but not that it is done with modern machinery. One would of course also use modern cranes and scaffolding.
    - cbnotfromthere 7y ago
      First of all, the pyramids were not built by slaves Of course most of the labor used for the pyramids were slaves. That was never in serious doubt, Zahi Hawas "patriotic" claims notwithstanding...
    - theli0nheart 7y ago
      > First of all, the pyramids were not built by slaves but ancient egyptians believed it to be their duty to help with the building of the pyramids. I’m sorry, I honestly can’t tell—are you joking? If not, you really ought to provide a source for this.
      - _ph_ 7y ago
        No, I am not joking - thats what I learned at school. But just look at wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_techniques https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_... You have to consider that the pharao wasn't just the "king" but also the link to the gods.

Sounds like a restoration project just waiting to happen.

soperj 7y ago

Yeah, that would be amazing. It would make them last a lot longer too.

tantalor 7y ago
Are they at risk of disintegrating?
- _ph_ 7y ago
  Considering that they are 4500 years old, not anytime soon. Even without maintenance, they would last some more millenia. But if you look at the difference between how they look now and how they used to look, they have suffered quite a bit. Only because they are the most robust structure ever built by man, doesn't mean we should just watch slowly decay. Especially while most of their structure is still close to original, it would be a good time to restore them. Imagine, if for example the acropolis in Athens would have been kept in original state vs. mostly having decayed. All those wonders of the past we decided to keep, we should preserve, while it is still possible.
  - afthonos 7y ago
    To be clear, the Acropolis did not “decay”. It was blown up by the Venetians when they fired on the Parthenon, which at the time was used to store gunpowder.
    - _ph_ 7y ago
      Thanks, I didn't know that. But the world is full of ruins of great old places, which we try to preserve today, but had not been kept in shape when they were still close to their origininal state. I think old churches are one of the few exceptions.
      - mcguire 7y ago
        "Beeldenstorm in Dutch (roughly "statue storm"), and Bildersturm in German ("image/statue storm") are terms used for outbreaks of destruction of religious images that occurred in Europe in the 16th century, known in English as the Great Iconoclasm or Iconoclastic Fury. During these spates of iconoclasm, Catholic art and many forms of church fittings and decoration were destroyed in unofficial or mob actions by Calvinist Protestant crowds as part of the Protestant Reformation. Most of the destruction was of art in churches and public places." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeldenstorm?wprov=sfla1 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beeldenstorm?wprov=sfla1
        _ph_ 7y ago
        Sure, a lot of churches also got destroyed. Yet, a lot of churches are in a remarkably good state of preservation. They are not the only preserved buildings, but the most obvious ones. There are also a few roman aquaeducts preserved, like the one in Nimes, France. And if I am not mistaken, some of the water delivery to todays Rome still uses partially roman aquaeducts. Also, the Pantheon in Rome is in a remarkably great state.
        afthonos 7y ago
        The sad thing about the Parthenon (and the Acropolis in general) was that it had been well preserved until then, albeit with changes. It had successively been a church and a mosque. Unfortunately, the Acropolis was also the most defensible position in Athens, so it was (since its inception) a strategic outpost as well. :-(
  - JohnJamesRambo 7y ago
    Is pollution accelerating the decay at all?
    - kijin 7y ago
      Acid rain can't be good for limestone. At the size of the pyramids, though, I'm not sure if the effects would be noticeable at all. It also doesn't rain much in the desert.

_ph_ 7y ago

Yes indeed. If using the original technology, it really should be restored to its original state.

cududa 7y ago
...by original technology do you mean thousands of slaves, or?
- _ph_ 7y ago
  First of all, the pyramids were not built by slaves but ancient egyptians believed it to be their duty to help with the building of the pyramids. Second, I was referring to using original materials and processing. E.g. grinding and polishing slabs of limestone. This can of course be done by using modern machinerny. It only matters that the original materials and processing of the materials are maintained, but not that it is done with modern machinery. One would of course also use modern cranes and scaffolding.
  - cbnotfromthere 7y ago
    First of all, the pyramids were not built by slaves Of course most of the labor used for the pyramids were slaves. That was never in serious doubt, Zahi Hawas "patriotic" claims notwithstanding...
  - theli0nheart 7y ago
    > First of all, the pyramids were not built by slaves but ancient egyptians believed it to be their duty to help with the building of the pyramids. I’m sorry, I honestly can’t tell—are you joking? If not, you really ought to provide a source for this.
    - _ph_ 7y ago
      No, I am not joking - thats what I learned at school. But just look at wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_techniques https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_... You have to consider that the pharao wasn't just the "king" but also the link to the gods.