How to transport stone to build pyramids of ancient Egypt

Physicists at the University of Amsterdam have just discovered a clever trick used by ancient Egyptians to transport heavy rocks during the construction of pyramids. By placing stones on a slider, then put a sufficient amount of water down below to make the sand floor twice as hard as usual. As a result, large blocks will be easily pulled along solid sliders and can significantly reduce the amount of labor needed.

The team published this finding in Physical Review Letters on April 29 as part of a research program "The fundamental aspect of friction."

In the laboratory, scientists tried to put an Egyptian model of a slider into a sand tray. Then, they will measure the drag force needed to transport the rock and the hardness of the sand substrate below. To determine the hardness of sand through water content, the researchers used a flowmeter to determine how much force to use to deform a certain amount of sand.

Tests have shown that the traction needed to transport the rock on the slider decreases in proportion to the hardness of the underlying sand substrate . And water is the best way to connect the grains of sand below . If it is possible to give a sufficient amount of water down, the hardness of the sand base below may double compared to normal dry sand. After that, the sliders will be supported by hard sand to facilitate the transportation of giant rocks more easily.

The scene depicts a statue with a slider.The workers at the top of each row are pouring water to wet the sand floor below

Some other relics of ancient Egypt also mentioned the aforementioned handy transportation tips. On the wall paintings in the tomb of Djehutihotep showed clear evidence of people pulling in front of a slider and some others are pouring water on the sand before the slider is pulled over.

According to the researchers, the discovery not only reveals to us how ancient Egyptians used to build the pyramid but could also be used in the present. Research results allow us to apply to optimize the transportation or handling of granular materials. Researchers estimate the use of Egyptian transport tips may help reduce energy consumption by 10% worldwide.