Machined Granite of Ancient Egypt
Prehistoric Machined Artifacts
Exhibit 1. Pavement
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 2. This saw cut ends within the joint to the adjacent block, proving that is was sawn before installation.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 3. Close-up of saw cut.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 4. Saw marks on side of pavement stones.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 5. More saw marks on pavement with appearance of being cut with circular saw.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 6. Distinct saw cuts with clearly defined steps.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 7. Front view of Exhibit 6.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 8. Close up of Exhibit 6.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 9. Large radius saw cut.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 10. Close up of Exhibit 9 revealing feed lines of the tool.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 11. Apparent -V- shaped notches cut into basalt.
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 12. Parallel striations on relative smooth surface of basalt. Close-up taken with macro lens
Material ~ Basalt.
Location ~ East of the Great Pyramid.
Exhibit 13. Contoured block on the Giza Plateau
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South corner and 100 yards east of Khafre’s pyramid.
Exhibit 14. End view of Exhibit 9 with overlaying circles
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South corner and 100 yards east of Khafre’s pyramid.
Exhibit 15. Front view of Exhibit 9.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South corner and 100 yards east of Khafre’s pyramid.
Exhibit 16. Precision straight edge on the crown of true radius.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South corner and 100 yards east of Khafre’s pyramid.
Exhibit 17. Using forming wax to check the consistency of the corner radius (see Advanced Machining in Ancient Egypt for further discussion).
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South corner and 100 yards east of Khafre’s pyramid.
Exhibit 18. Contoured block of granite near Valley Temple.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South side outside the Valley Temple.
Exhibit 19. End view of Exhibit 18.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South side outside the Valley Temple.
Exhibit 20. Precision straight edge on the crown of true radius.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South side outside the Valley Temple.
Exhibit 21. Front view of Exhibit 18.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ South side outside the Valley Temple.
Exhibit 22. Wall inside the Valley Temple.
Material ~ Diorite.
Location ~ East wall inside the Valley Temple.
Exhibit 23. Core drilled hole.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ West lintel in South East hall inside the Valley Temple.
Exhibit 24. Core broken out of drilled hole.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ University College London, the Petrie Museum. Discovered at Giza by William Flinders Petrie – 1881.
Exhibit 25. Saw marks.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ Abu Rawash.
Exhibit 26. Box carved from solid piece 7-1/2 ft. wide 9 ft. high 13-½ ft. long .
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ Rock tunnels of the Serapeum at Saqqarra
Exhibit 27. Inspecting the inside of another box at the Serapeum using precision toolmakers instruments.
Material ~ Aswan pink granite.
Location ~ Rock tunnels of the Serapeum at Saqqarra.
For additional information regarding the boxes in the Serapeum click here.
The article Advanced Machining in Ancient Egypt can be read here.