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Stone Shifting 2

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nigelswift N
nigelswift Aug 31, 2003 12:32:50
Replying to GordonP

When you put it like that, "just to please the Archaeologists" it sounds stupid, I know. But I DO think you're postulating something totally different from previous thinking (not for the first time!) so they'll be reluctant to accept it. The thing is, with stone rowing they can see there's no equally efficient method. But with this they've got an option to "prefer" what they've previously believed.
Anyway, truth to tell, it's not just them, it's me. I just feel "it's leaning so let's pull it up" is a natural reaction and would have formed at least part of their thinking.
It's a bit like head-butting really. You could demonstrate it works, and I'd pay to watch, but it wouldn't convince me it was the most likely method for non-chippies.

S Steve Gray
Steve Gray Aug 31, 2003 12:53:09
Replying to nigelswift

If it goes in straight, we don't need to pull it up and neither would they. If it's wonky, we might use ropes to assist those at the base ramming packing chips into the hole. The only thing that would convince me that they hauled them up would be if the slope into the hole was at a shallow angle (less than 50 degrees to the horizontal) AND extended a good way down the hole. A 40 ton block, even starting from 60 degrees, requires 10 tons of pull by a rope attached to its top and pulling perpendicular to its axis. That's quite a strain for a primitive rope.

I think the strongest argument in favour of Gordon's method is that if it works and if it's efficient then why would it NOT have been done that way? Ancient people may have had more limited technology than we have, but they weren't stupid.