2.0 out of 5 stars
A nice try ... but not convincing, December 19, 2009
A good try at advancing an alternate explanation of using levers to raise the stones of the pyramids .... alas it falls short of the much more accepted use of ramps. Hodges argues against the use of ramps wrapped around the pyramid and using the stepped parts of the incomplete pyramid as a foundation for the ramp/s. He said this would not work because it would not allow for enough room at the corners of the pyramid to manouvere the sleds around the corners .... hmmmm .... interesting argument but he does not seem to allow for the fact that it is an easy thing to make the corners larger by using the lower steps of the pyramid - as you go up higher you have a wider stepped pattern below for you to use as a foundation. Also how does he account for the huge quantity of loose soil, sand and limestone in the nearby quarry - this has to be the material dumped there after the ramps were dismantled? There are also remains of ramps on various pyramids across Egypt.
It is great to see people from different professions/trades put forward different ideas .... but not sure this one provides us with a good alternative.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
A no nonsense look at pyramid building, May 2, 2007
This review is from: How the Pyramids Were Built (Paperback)
I picked this one up on a recommendation from one of the more esoteric pyramid texts, a recommendation that noted the author's credentials behind his simple theory that human powered levers alone could be used to elevate even the largest stones found in Egyptian pyramids.
The text is not as comprehensive as I'd hoped. The third pyramid at Giza is barely explored, nor does the text address placing the large granite stones found in the "King's Chamber" and elsewhere. Nevertheless author Peter Hodges does a convincing job (and I needed to be convinced!) that indeed four guys and some jacks could muster the effort and, given enough time and teams, could construct these giant monuments.
As a bonus the book is full of diagrams and pictures demonstrating the author's ideas in many stages, all the way from table top model to lifting a car using his principles. I'm not sure this theory explains every bit of pyramid construction but it does a credible job in defending that portion of it far better than the often proposed ramps. (Ramp theories are effectively reduced to rubble both in the text and in additional material included by editor Julian Keable.)
Somewhat dated in language and tone, the material is still accessible and worthwhile for any seriously study of these magnificent human accomplishments.
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