Theories from Egypt (CAC Edition)
Created | Updated Mar 19, 2006
After visiting the great pyramids in Egypt, I couldn't help wondering whether at all we might have the actual purpose of them wrong. And there might be a another use for them rather than just for burying the dead. I'm not sure whether this has been an already considered purpose or not so will be interested on any insights into this and whether it is possible. Nature always tries to improve its previous designs and man being a part of this tends to do the same, we take something we know about and try to improve it. The Egyptians created a number of things to improve mans natural abilities most of which are still in use today, lenses to improve eyesight are one of these examples. Could hearing also have been considered and enhanced? We have all seen the benefits of improved hearing, take the old Cowboy and Indian movies where an Indian tracker puts his ear to the ground to pick up any faint rumble of incoming trouble or more usefully with finding game. We know the Egyptians were familiar with sound engineering so could they too have created something to enhance these abilities too. We know if you put a glass to a wall you get a clearer sound and you may or may not have seen old ear trumpets which were used by the hard of hearing before hearing aids. Try and imagine that but on a larger scale.
A pyramid has a large base finishing in as we know a peak. Imagine soundwaves coming up from the ground and bouncing off the walls. In a stone pyramid as you could probably imagine what with the space these sounds are greatly increased. Interestingly if you draw a pyramid and draw sounds waves coming up from the base and bouncing around the walls in side you tend to notice if you do it enough times the waves cross about a third of the way up the pyramid. Now the interesting bit as we know the inside of a pyramid isn't a vast empty space, there are a number of different sized chambers and a maze of narrow tunnels and chambers. Could these be designed not as access tunnels but rather a way of focusing the individual sound wave’s that you as a listener would be interested in. Basically a filter system turning the pyrimid into a large observatory.
You design a tunnel that allows certain wave lengths up but with angles in it that reflect the unwanted sounds back. Obviously there is a lot more to it but im trying to keep it as simple as can in the hope that I am making sense and not boring you. A person sitting in one of the chambers would be bombarded with sound and if they had acute trained hearing along with a understanding of the sounds they were hearing they could probably make useful information out of it. ie; they might pick up on the distant rumble of a storm, or the advancement of incoming troops. If they were really good they may even be able to hear the subtle changes of the environment of when the moon changes phase. Imagine Full Moon brings tide changes, different weather patterns all of which create a sound landscape which could be translated into a environmental picture. If they were focused on the moon for example and made a mark every time the sounds changed they could quite possible create one of the most advanced calendars known. This may seem a little far fetched but I can't help thinking that when I was in one of the chambers of the pyramid there did seem to be an absence of high pitched sound and an increase in the lower frequencies. I also couldn't help to wonder would happen if the process was reversed and sound was generated inside the pyramid and focused out the many vents that lead to the outside of the pyramid, any invading troops or upsets in society would probably stop dead in there tracks by the sound generated. They also say if you place a blunt razor a third of the way up in a pyramid the next day it will be sharp, could this be because sound vibrates the blade against the stone which sharpens the blade?
Still not convinced? Well another example of sound telescopes if you like have been used more recently and for a similar purpose as the purposed Egyptian idea. During the war we built along our coasts big sound barriers with slot holes leading into stone rooms where a solder would wait listening for subtle sounds of incoming planes from Europe, it was one of the first steps towards creating radar that we have today. Sounds from the aircraft were picked up from up to 40 to 60 miles away, though of course not always successfully, but it was tried.
Another little curiosity I got thinking about while in Egypt was how the pyramids were built and the stones moved and cut in the first place. And i herd and expression that captured my imagination. This was 'come ride my camel' And I heard someone mention that they were known as the great ships of the desert and I wondered. One thing the Egyptians have a lot of in Egypt is wind, and being adapt sailors I considered whether it would be possible that they used the desert winds to their advantage. By creating sails to act like kites, enough of these sails might be enough for the deserts winds to take enough of the weight of the stones so the camels could pull the stones to the location required cutting down the man power. What an amazing sight it might have been to see a line of camels with huge sails coming over the horizon dragging the stones. Interestingly the Egyptian Ankh is quite similar to a tool that guides ropes and can take force. Once the stones were in the right location you might use another resource water and sand. A sand blaster could be created. By having a high water tank with a sand mix and pipes leading down which get narrower the closer they get to the nozzle pressure can be built up. This could possible make quite a handy cutting tool for the fairly soft sand stone. Also if cutting granite could there knowledge of sound help there as well. By hitting the stone fractures could be detected enabling the granite to be broken up more easily. could the reason they have such tight fitting joint in there walls be because they have built them like a jigsaw puzzle. Breaking the stone and fitting it back together joint to joint making a naturally fitting wall. I look forward to any insights into these ideas and I apologise in advance if there are not anything new I have just been too lazy to do the homework, making it up is easier. Thanks for reading.
A pyramid has a large base finishing in as we know a peak. Imagine soundwaves coming up from the ground and bouncing off the walls. In a stone pyramid as you could probably imagine what with the space these sounds are greatly increased. Interestingly if you draw a pyramid and draw sounds waves coming up from the base and bouncing around the walls in side you tend to notice if you do it enough times the waves cross about a third of the way up the pyramid. Now the interesting bit as we know the inside of a pyramid isn't a vast empty space, there are a number of different sized chambers and a maze of narrow tunnels and chambers. Could these be designed not as access tunnels but rather a way of focusing the individual sound wave’s that you as a listener would be interested in. Basically a filter system turning the pyrimid into a large observatory.
You design a tunnel that allows certain wave lengths up but with angles in it that reflect the unwanted sounds back. Obviously there is a lot more to it but im trying to keep it as simple as can in the hope that I am making sense and not boring you. A person sitting in one of the chambers would be bombarded with sound and if they had acute trained hearing along with a understanding of the sounds they were hearing they could probably make useful information out of it. ie; they might pick up on the distant rumble of a storm, or the advancement of incoming troops. If they were really good they may even be able to hear the subtle changes of the environment of when the moon changes phase. Imagine Full Moon brings tide changes, different weather patterns all of which create a sound landscape which could be translated into a environmental picture. If they were focused on the moon for example and made a mark every time the sounds changed they could quite possible create one of the most advanced calendars known. This may seem a little far fetched but I can't help thinking that when I was in one of the chambers of the pyramid there did seem to be an absence of high pitched sound and an increase in the lower frequencies. I also couldn't help to wonder would happen if the process was reversed and sound was generated inside the pyramid and focused out the many vents that lead to the outside of the pyramid, any invading troops or upsets in society would probably stop dead in there tracks by the sound generated. They also say if you place a blunt razor a third of the way up in a pyramid the next day it will be sharp, could this be because sound vibrates the blade against the stone which sharpens the blade?
Still not convinced? Well another example of sound telescopes if you like have been used more recently and for a similar purpose as the purposed Egyptian idea. During the war we built along our coasts big sound barriers with slot holes leading into stone rooms where a solder would wait listening for subtle sounds of incoming planes from Europe, it was one of the first steps towards creating radar that we have today. Sounds from the aircraft were picked up from up to 40 to 60 miles away, though of course not always successfully, but it was tried.
Another little curiosity I got thinking about while in Egypt was how the pyramids were built and the stones moved and cut in the first place. And i herd and expression that captured my imagination. This was 'come ride my camel' And I heard someone mention that they were known as the great ships of the desert and I wondered. One thing the Egyptians have a lot of in Egypt is wind, and being adapt sailors I considered whether it would be possible that they used the desert winds to their advantage. By creating sails to act like kites, enough of these sails might be enough for the deserts winds to take enough of the weight of the stones so the camels could pull the stones to the location required cutting down the man power. What an amazing sight it might have been to see a line of camels with huge sails coming over the horizon dragging the stones. Interestingly the Egyptian Ankh is quite similar to a tool that guides ropes and can take force. Once the stones were in the right location you might use another resource water and sand. A sand blaster could be created. By having a high water tank with a sand mix and pipes leading down which get narrower the closer they get to the nozzle pressure can be built up. This could possible make quite a handy cutting tool for the fairly soft sand stone. Also if cutting granite could there knowledge of sound help there as well. By hitting the stone fractures could be detected enabling the granite to be broken up more easily. could the reason they have such tight fitting joint in there walls be because they have built them like a jigsaw puzzle. Breaking the stone and fitting it back together joint to joint making a naturally fitting wall. I look forward to any insights into these ideas and I apologise in advance if there are not anything new I have just been too lazy to do the homework, making it up is easier. Thanks for reading.
