and dont forget the arched doorway, and the keystone. that was regarded as rocket science for quite a while, a trade secret that was protected with intrigue and murder.
On 4/25/05, Stephen A. Lawrence <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > RC Macaulay wrote: > > > Back to Egyptian pyramids.. The scope of teh work and technology > > required leaves me wondering how much of ancient history is missing.. > > we actually know or understand so little. Take the library of > > Alexandria in Egypt that was sacked and burned in later BC. The Greeks > > recorded the library contained 70,000 years of records. The Egyptians > > scoffed at Grecian works and architecture... > > Well, sure. For all their fancy buildings the Greeks never learned how > to make a sensible doorframe, nor how to build a ceiling that wouldn't > fall in. Flat stones on the tops of doorways and planks to hold up the > roof were about as far as they ever got. But flat stones supported at > the ends aren't reliable; stone isn't strong in tension and if you just > wait long enough flat stone tops on doorframes will crack and fall. > > Note that none of the (well-known) Greek ruins have roofs, and the > doorways are nearly all open to the sky. > > Now, when we look at the Romans things are very different indeed -- > domed roofs made of concrete were one of their specialties, with the mix > of concrete graded to match the thickness as they went from the bottom > of the dome to the top. > > -- "Monsieur l'abb�, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write" Voltaire
