User:Crafty crank

The great pyramid of Giza, Egypt

Topic for discussion:- ( Introduction) The current Wikipedia article on Great Pyramid of Giza states that it was 'Built in the early 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years' and 'The Great Pyramid was built by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks weighing 6 million tonnes in total. The majority of stones are not uniform in size or shape and are only roughly dressed' The conjecture for discussion 'Is this correct'? I doubt whether any of the archaeologists have or will be able to count all the stones with any accuracy unless they take it apart and no ones going to do that. It does give the reader an approximate guide which is good.

The article states that some 2,300,000 stones were placed into position over a period of 27years, although some Egyptologists say it took as little as 23 years. How they calculated this time period depends on how many blocks were on average laid in a day. The blocks used were cut from a quarry to roughly the correct size to suit their intended location, the blocks being much larger at the base gradually decreasing in size towards the top. We are told the total weight of the blocks is 6,000,000 tons in total. This calculation should be quite accurate based on the dimensions of the pyramid (taking account that some of the pyramid is below existing ground level) and the known density of the stone used. The density of Egyptian limestone ranges from 2.250 - 2.700kg/m3. Archaeologists use an average of 2.475kg/m3 even though they know where the stone quarries are located. If there are 2,300,000 blocks weighing a total of 6,000,000tons then each block on average would weigh 6,000,000/2,300,000 stones = 2.6tons. Therefore using the average density the size of each block would be 1.06m3.(2.6tons/2.45kg/m3). Wikipedia article states the stone blocks of Khufu's pyramid are very large in the lower layers (1.0 x 2.5m = 6.125tons) with smaller blocks for the layers higher up (1.0–1.5 = 3.675tons). All the blocks used in the pyramid are larger than the average calculated above. This brings you to question whether the number of blocks is correct?

Also in the paragraph headed 'Workforce' the number of blocks needed to be laid quarried each day is 250 using a huge workforce of 3500 quarry men. Added to this would be transport staff, actual construction staff to lift and raise the stones to position and all the support staff. The figure of 250 blocks a day is based on working 365 days a year for 27 year (2300000/27/365 = 233.38) that's 19 blocks an hour working a 12 hour day non stop. Was it possible in the heat of the Egyptian Summer to work that length of time? Yes they could have worked on all four faces of the pyramid at once giving them 2.75 /4 = 5 minutes per block. This would include lifting them to an ever increasing height.

This is all based on the fact that the Giza took 27 years to build. Why is this?