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The article offers information related to Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza pyramid complex bordering present-day Giza in Greater Cairo, Egypt. It further discusses how new evidence from archaeology and ancient Egyptian textual sources discussing how the hard labor of countless men and women without the help of technical devices made the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Certain features of the ramp first uncovered by the IFAO/University of Liverpool team in 2015 at the Old Kingdom alabaster quarry at Hatnub have been heralded as a model for ramps used in construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. These features include a steep slope of up 20% (11°), inclined stairways on both sides and post holes at regular intervals. The archaeologists hypothesize that these features allowed the haul team to be split into two groups, one hauling upslope with a direct pull, and the other downslope on ropes passed around the posts "acting as pulleys", thus enabling a steep slope to be used. This paper is based on the physics of various arrangements and demonstrates that the hypothesis is untenable as the posts would have acted as bollards and provided no mechanical advantage. The posts were necessary because of the problems large haul teams would have had negotiating the curvature of the ramp. Interesting as the features at Hatnub are, they are unnecessary and undesirable on the ramps that would have been required for pyramid construction, and the hypothesis should be rejected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The notion of Duat plays a major role in ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs. Yet, a single definition of this notion is impossible to achieve, as it underwent a process of evolution over thousands of years without ever designating just one unambiguous place at a time. In this context, an approach based on cognitive linguistics and on the significance of the determinatives accompanying the word Duat can be exploited to shed more light on this elusive concept. The focus will be here on the Pyramid Texts and the Coffin Texts as well as the intermediary phase of transmission of the funerary literature during the period between the end of the Old Kingdom and the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A construction methodology proposed by the author in 2003 to explain how the Great Pyramid was built suggested that workers used the angled faces of the pyramid as surfaces on which to transport block and sledge assemblies. This methodology however would leave few material traces behind making it more difficult to conclusively prove. This article argues that the known concavity of the outer packing blocks of the Great Pyramid provides meangingful archaeological evidence to add weight to the author's proposed construction methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basic concept of a deployable pyramidal shelter structure based on origami is introduced. Various radially foldable systems are composed by leaf units in leaf-in and leaf-out patterns. Then the geometry and motion of the system are studied. The geometry in the fully deployed configuration for the leaf-out pattern is identical to that for the leaf-in pattern. During motion, the leaf-in pattern reveals actually folding incompatibility. In other words, there are two strain free states; this indicates that a structure is self-locking, i.e., a strain will need to be induced in order to move the structure from one configuration to the other. The strain of the system is irrelevant to the number of leaf elements. The structure with the leaf-out pattern has rigid mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this research, I will introduce a new interpretation of the Great Pyramid's passages and chambers system in the light of SolarOsirian beliefs. There are three known chambers inside the Great Pyramid: The lowest chamber that is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built, and it was unfinished. The socalled1 Queen's Chamber, and the King's Chamber which are higher up within the pyramid structure.(Fig 1) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a week-long Total Station survey undertaken by the authors during December 2006 whose principal aim was to clarify the basic data concerning the orientation of each side of the three large Giza pyramids and to determine, as accurately as possible, the orientations of as many as possible of the associated structures. The survey focused upon measurements of sequences of points along multiple straight and relatively well-preserved structural segments, with best-fit techniques being used to provide the best estimate of their orientation, as opposed to simple triangulation between directly identified or extrapolated corners. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Archaeological aspects of the various building methods are reviewed, paying special attention to the construction method described by Müller- Römer (2011) and the reason behind the stepped shape of Menkaure's pyramid. The main purpose is to present an alternative description of the building process according to this method, based on the physical principles of force and power. It is shown that this approach leads to results that are generally applicable and permits adjustment of the transportation capacity of the proposed system by adjusting the slope of the ramps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The general consensus of most archaeologists is that approximately 25,000 workers labored for 23 years to build the Great Pyramid in Egypt at Giza. However, by examining the 'mysterious tools' and other clues left behind , it is found that the Egyptians were masters of energy management and that the 25,000-worker build time could be reduced to only 138.6 days (using very conservative calculations). More realistically, and matching evidence found at the pyramid site, approximately 4,000 workers were probably used, and they took 4-6 calendar years at a fairly leisurely pace. This is on the basis of archaeological evidence, standard engineering principles, and ingenuity. Management of energy of assembly is a critical issue in the efficient construction of large structures. The principles used in ancient times are still applicable today. It is assumed that the Egyptians were smart people and that they were capable of employing the technology that they are known to have possessed in a creative and resourceful manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo enfoca en el gobernante maya Yik'in Chan K'awil del señorío de Tikal (Guatemala) durante el período Clásico Tardío. El autor hace referencia al auge de construcciones monumentales durante el período y cita registros glíficos de las obras realizadas durante el reinado de Yik'in Chan K'awil.

The article discusses the social context and organization of ancient stone quarrying in Egypt. It says that the involvement workers to monument and pyramid construction in Egypt are considered as a complex understanding in terms of work force feeding. It explores the stone quarrying and production techniques featuring the use of fire as primary extraction technique. It adds that the social organization of ancient stone quarrying during the pyramid age was difficult to be attest archeologically.

The explanation of the symmetrical features on the west and east sides of the grand gallery in the pyramid of Khufu has always been an intricate puzzle for researchers. The existence of such peculiar features is generally related to the function of parking the granite plugs, but only three or four granite blocks were presumably used to plug the ascending corridor, while a much larger number of slots and niches are found in the gallery. Previous interpretations of niches, slots, cuttings and grooves are unsatisfactory, and the present investigation focuses on important, formerly neglected aspects. The analysis of numerical patterns in the design of the grand gallery provides crucial evidence, and a new interpretation of the features in the gallery is, therefore, proposed, by considering the numerous variables implied in the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo enfoca en cómo fueron construidas las pirámides prehispánicas mexicanas desde la perspectiva de la energética arquitectónica--el estudio antropológico de los costos humanos de construcción. A partir de las características de los materiales empleados se considera el tiempo necesario para las distintas etapas constructivas y las estructuras organizativas necesarias para llevarlas a cabo.

El artículo enfoca en los recursos tecnológicos y arquitectónicos empleados por las culturas mesoamericanas para la construcción de las pirámides prehispánicas. Se menciona la preparación del sitio para la infraestructura urbana, la acumulación de materiales de construcción y la conformación del núcleo del edificio. También se citan algunos de los materiales utilizados.

A multichannel texture segmentation algorithm is presented based on the image pyramids produced with the Bamberger directional filter bank. An extensive evaluation of Bamberger pyramids and their design parameters is presented. The impact on segmentation performance of factors like the number of pyramid levels, number of directional channels, redundancy and filter specifications is considered. The proposed system is shown to provide some of the best results reported to date when compared with other multichannel representations under similar evaluation conditions. It is further shown that segmentation results using the maximally decimated directional filter bank rival those of the undecimated case. To the knowledge of the authors, such performance has not been previously observed for decompositions with decimated channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information about geometry. It states that geometry comes from the Greek word "geo" which refers to the earth or land and "metry" which means to measure. It also discusses how geometry was used by Egyptians, who needed to keep track of the consequences of the Nile River's obliterating field boundaries in the spring or to help in the construction of the pyramids. Moreover, geometry was also thought to be both as a description of physical space and as an axiomatic system. It also provides information on Euclid's Elements.

The republication of the interesting book by Rossi (2003, 2007) has provoked questions about the orientation of Egyptian pyramids from the architectural science point of view. The main concern of this paper is to explain several hypothetical possibilities for orientation of the first step Egyptian pyramid. The oldest monumental step pyramid complex, at Saqqara, was built by Imhotep in the 3rd millennium BC, 3rd Dynasty of the 'Old Kingdom'. Pre-construction involved a foundation ritual, during which the pyramid's south orientation and plan were determined by 'stretching the cords', a site design procedure partially illustrated on stone engravings. Though helpful, these illustrations incompletely depict the method of pyramid plan design and orientation. Due to rhombic signs on mastaba foundation stones, some Egyptologists claim that geometry was the primary method used for pyramid plan design and orientation. However, due to the solar equinox festive day and the pharaoh's presence at the festival, it is possible that the solar equinox was the day chosen for the ceremony. During the equinox, the gnomon shadow would directly indicate the E-W cardinal points. It is plausible, therefore, that solar geometry, at the equinox, was chosen to establish the primary orientation of the pyramid complex. Sundials based on the equinox sun-shadow were commonly used during the 3rd century BC. This paper discusses methods that could have been available to determine the orientation of pyramids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La construction de la pyramide de khe´ops a donne´ lieu a` de nombreuses the´ories et pole´miques. Cet article fait le point sur les principales solutions avance´es et propose essentiellement deux ide´es nouvelles pour re´soudre tous les proble`mes de construction. [Copyright 2002 Elsevier]

The Djoser funerary complex was meant to be a house for a god and a metaphor for the sky. Today, it is usually understood that this original work of classical architecture is a vacant house of stone ‘from which the gods have fled.” This difference does not have to be understood as a further sign of an irrecoverable loss of meaning. It is a historical doubling of meaning, or a duplicity. This article explores the duplicity of meaning of the Djoser complex by comparing references to architecture in the Pyramid Texts with texts of contemporary criticism, in particular, "The Pit and the Pyramid” by Jacques Derrida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Step Pyramid of Zoser at Saqqara is examined from the point of view of constructive geometry and mensuration. The evidence is that it is based on geometric proportion, though this may simply be the outcome of peg-and-chord technology employed in setting out the monument. The procedure that the architect may have followed in setting out the monument is Ad Quadratum in its most elemental form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Egyptian pulley incorporates several novel, useful features. The design involves only significant compressive loading of its two components. The materials of construction are high compressive strength materials - limestone, granite or copper. The groove around the cylinder prevents rope slippage, thereby protecting the rope from abrasion but critically also maintaining the cross-sectional integrity of the rope and its twist structure. The Egyptian pulley would have allowed the pullers to be positioned on the Pyramid's top stable, horizontal surface during construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author responds to the comment made to his article "Energy Management Reduces Great Pyramid Build Effort by More Than 98%." He asserts that the term rocker used in the discussion was functionally descriptive, but the function was not accurate. He notes that he uses the quarter circle term in his response because it is an accurate physical description. He also argues against the discusser's thought that Egyptians did not have the concept of pi or know its approximate value.

The article presents world news brief as of December 1, 2018. Ralph Lauren attained the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as an Honorary Knight commander. Depletion of ozone layer by man-made damages. British actress Emma Thompson honored by Queen Elizabeth for her services to drama. Design and construction of pyramids by ancient Egyptians.