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I agree that the article is not very good, but this comment misses the point. If I see a brick building in the street, I don't know how it has been done, but I

I agree that the article is not very good, but this comment misses the point. If I see a brick building in the street, I don't know how it has been done, but I can make reasonable guesses on what's most probable, based on the apparent age of the building, maybe I passed by a construction site where a similar building was being built, I can go to the library to check architecture books, I may try to ask a construction worker... Do I know how that particular building has been done? Probably not, we haven't seen it, but I'll get a good idea on how it may have been. Of course, this doesn't mean that it's impossible that an alien ship came in the night and drop the whole thing. It's just not a probable explanation. We know a lot of things about the pyramids, given that it has been a while. But we know similar constructions, how that evolved, some documentation, materials, etc... Do we know for sure how they were build? Not really. But we know a lot about what are the most likely ways (and they don't include aliens or lost civilizations). Is this subjected to revision? Of course... Is "We just don't know" a good description? I don't think so.

reacweb 12y ago
Some buildings are made by aliens, but not many. A lot more are made by crazy architects.
david927 12y ago
So what is more probable: rubbing 80 ton granite together or aliens? Neither; they're both crazy. We have an idea on some aspects of the pyramid's construction, but how they cut the stone "in situ" to that level of perfection, currently has no good explanation. Not "we know 80% but are missing 20%." It's "we don't know 100%."
- WalterBright 12y ago
  I asked my mom once how they could make the foundations of the pyramids level over such a long distance. She replied that they could have dug a trench, filled it with water, and used that as a reference level for the foundation. My reaction was "duh, but why didn't I think of that?" We don't know if the Egyptians actually did it that way, but just because we are accustomed to think in terms of modern surveying equipment doesn't mean there aren't simple, low tech, accurate and effective solutions. As for how to cut a rock accurately in situ, the usual way is to use a carpenter's square, jig, or form tool. Low tech and easy.
  - david927 12y ago
    That's how you cut granite? It's one of the hardest known substances and for that reason it's often cut with a diamond blade. No one's asking how they got a level foundation. That might be unclear to you, but it wouldn't be to most people, certainly not experts. But no one knows how they cut that stone as well as they did. Not experts in any field. No one. I'm not saying they didn't have some amazing low tech solution we just don't know. I'm saying we don't know what it was. And rather than saying, "We don't know," to say, "They rubbed the 80 ton stones together," or "They used the world's most massive jig," is just mind beggaring. Just say, "We don't know." It's not that hard. Actually, I take that back. Evidently, for some people, it's impossible.
    - WalterBright 12y ago
      > That's how you cut granite? No, it's how you get the shape correct. You don't need a massive jig, either. I'm just pointing out there are many simple, low tech ways of doing it accurately. > No one's asking how they got a level foundation. Actually, that question was asked on one of those Egypt shows in the "how could they possibly have done that" way. I just used it as an example. As for stone rubbing, that was in reference to how the Incas shaped stone.

reacweb 12y ago

Some buildings are made by aliens, but not many. A lot more are made by crazy architects.

david927 12y ago

So what is more probable: rubbing 80 ton granite together or aliens? Neither; they're both crazy. We have an idea on some aspects of the pyramid's construction, but how they cut the stone "in situ" to that level of perfection, currently has no good explanation. Not "we know 80% but are missing 20%." It's "we don't know 100%."

WalterBright 12y ago
I asked my mom once how they could make the foundations of the pyramids level over such a long distance. She replied that they could have dug a trench, filled it with water, and used that as a reference level for the foundation. My reaction was "duh, but why didn't I think of that?" We don't know if the Egyptians actually did it that way, but just because we are accustomed to think in terms of modern surveying equipment doesn't mean there aren't simple, low tech, accurate and effective solutions. As for how to cut a rock accurately in situ, the usual way is to use a carpenter's square, jig, or form tool. Low tech and easy.
- david927 12y ago
  That's how you cut granite? It's one of the hardest known substances and for that reason it's often cut with a diamond blade. No one's asking how they got a level foundation. That might be unclear to you, but it wouldn't be to most people, certainly not experts. But no one knows how they cut that stone as well as they did. Not experts in any field. No one. I'm not saying they didn't have some amazing low tech solution we just don't know. I'm saying we don't know what it was. And rather than saying, "We don't know," to say, "They rubbed the 80 ton stones together," or "They used the world's most massive jig," is just mind beggaring. Just say, "We don't know." It's not that hard. Actually, I take that back. Evidently, for some people, it's impossible.
  - WalterBright 12y ago
    > That's how you cut granite? No, it's how you get the shape correct. You don't need a massive jig, either. I'm just pointing out there are many simple, low tech ways of doing it accurately. > No one's asking how they got a level foundation. Actually, that question was asked on one of those Egypt shows in the "how could they possibly have done that" way. I just used it as an example. As for stone rubbing, that was in reference to how the Incas shaped stone.