Evolution

I am new to the forum, (this is my first post), but Lemming.... Consider slave labor. Yes, I concede that it was a architectural feat to gather the men and materials... However, the Egyptians we obviously very well versed in the building of pyramids (there are smaller versions of burial tombs like Great Pyramids of Giza dotted round Egypt). The ancient Egyptians, who, like any engineer/architect, had the building of the pyramids down to the finest detail, coupled with prior knowledge of how to build them and slave labor could make the pyramids. You get enough men together you can move very large objects and if you whip them enough, you can move the object long distances....
Yes, humans today may not be able to build the pyramids on the scale that they did back then... First, would you want to? I certainly would not want to spend years of my life trying (because the pyramids took a LONG time to build). Plus, we don't have the experience.. back in those time I am sure there was a 'head architect' that had prior knowledge of how to go about building a pyramid... we just have very limited records on how they did it. I am sure we could make something like it, but it would have our own spin on it. And second, we do pretty good on the technological marvels nowadays. You can take 20-50 guys and put up a skyscraper ANYWHERE in a matter of months. Yes, we have technology to help us, but we made the technology. Heck, the materials that a skyscraper is made of is more advanced then a big rock in the middle of a desert.Secondly, you ask how could they still be standing? Well the pyramids are essentially one BIG rock, a mountain if you will. Its not like the pyramids have huge caverns or open spaces, they are a maze of tunnels and small rooms. So, just like a mountain (which can have caves in it e.g limestone caves) can stand for thousands of years, so can the pyramids. They will just be a little weathered/eroded.Third, you ask why is there no road to the pyramids? Well you said it yourself, the desert is ever changing. Perhaps there was once a road, but roads (as demonstrated by the amount of potholes in all the ones I drive) don't normally last long. Also, since the pyramids were of obvious significance, the Egyptian may not have wanted just anyone showing up (eg grave robbers) so they could've pulled up any road that was there.... Just things to consider.And lastly, the Great Pyramids are not singular in their existence... there are the pyramids the Aztecs/Mayans? in Central America. So there are two 'advanced' civilizations existing at different points in time? At other points in time, do you believe humans have devolved, just because we didn't think it was worth the energy and effort to build a massive monument to the dead?Also, could you post the link or the information about this bottle you keep referring to? I tried to look it up on the Web to get the details, but I couldn't find anything.Thanks
-obsidian

Pitt grad school... just started in September-obsidia

Thanks gene for the correction.... I looked up some sites and did indeed find that its was more likely that migrant workers from the farms came to work the pyramids in the off season. My apologies....Lemming, to address the new topics you brought up...
First, the idea that the stone blocks would have been a lot of weight to move around, and create a path a solid sand? In order to create stone from sand (e.g. sandstone) water is a necessity for binding the sand particles together, hard to get that in the desert. If you are talking about the compacting of sand to form rock hard ground.... I will give you an analogy, Americas highway system, millions of cars weighing several tons traverse the roads, but underneath the asphalt, would we find that the dirt had compacted into stone(or solid dirt) from all the compression? Probably not, it would still be dirt. Also,to address the idea of roads once again... if a stable road was built, from stone blocks or something, out in the desert, there would've been a good chance that it would be buried quickly by the shifting sands, rendering it useless.As to your other topic.... the manpower (I already corrected myself about the slave thing). You stated that there are no mass graves or no evidence of where they got the food and water to build the pyramids. Please see the following links:
-
The Discovery of the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza: Dr. Zahi Hawass
http://www.egyptsites.co.uk/lower/giza/intro/intro.html
Page not found – Viasat Internet ProviderI like the last one especially, its a great picture. Anyway, the above links show that indeed there were a large amount of personal private tombs/graves for people/families that built the pyramids. Also, the links provide evidence that a massive town surrounded the pyramids... providing housing and storage for food. They found massive grain silos at the site and communal dining halls. The idea was that there was a stable population to maintain the town and then migrant workers came in after the Nile flooded the farms annually to work on the pyramids.Now, I am sure you are going to ask where the food and water came to supply those dining halls. Water was not THAT far away from the pyramids, you can see the pyramids from the Nile. Water and grain could be brought in from the Nile via massive caravan trains. And cattle could be kept at the pyramids (feeding on the grain).-Obsidian

Thanks Percy! Pitts city life is definitely fun.
-obsidian