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How did Egyptians light inside of pyramids?


George Ford

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Again, please write so that people can understand you.

You don't have to, Swede will.

But as a hint: You don't really know how full you are of yourself, do you?

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You don't have to, Swede will.

But as a hint: You don't really know how full you are of yourself, do you?

If you think that of me, you are entitled to your opinion. I will ask that you present evidence however.

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If you think that of me, you are entitled to your opinion. I will ask that you present evidence however.

Your self proclaimed knowledge of Greek suffices for the moment.

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Your self proclaimed knowledge of Greek suffices for the moment.

I does not. Perhaps you should find a dictionary and look up "conceit".

I don't find that knowledge of a language has any bearing on the conceit or meekness of a particular person.

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I does not. Perhaps you should find a dictionary and look up "conceit".

I don't find that knowledge of a language has any bearing on the conceit or meekness of a particular person.

Right.

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Hi,

So I saw an episode of Ancient Aliens and the wacky dude on that said that the Egyptians had some sort of light bulbs to light the inside of the tunnels. I dont know if they did or not but I figured they proably used fire instead.

Would that mean that the little tunnel/holes that face the sky are just air vents to help cycle the air so the candles or fire torches did not go out and smoke did not build up?

I except that the little tunnel/holes may have had a dual purpose.

It's a mystery that hasn't been solved.If the internal chambers and tunnels has been constructed part by part as each layer of the pyramid was built then it's possible that they didn't need artificial light at all as the chambers and tunnels would have been open to sunlight and on completion just roofed over. Working inside the passageways after construction of the main edifice poses many questions. For instance: Oxygen depletion. Even working in the dark the workers would have experienced oxygen depletion within the tunnels and chambers. With oil lamps burning this problem is multiplied many times and then there is the smoke which would have been considerable. It's actually impossible for them to have built the tunnels and passageways after completion of the main edifice using oil lamps.

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There is no issue. Mistakes will happen. You are forgiven.

As for your calculations: thank you again for your effort and time.

It would be hoped that you are capable of assimilating the data recently presented and thus come to the realization that your previous statements are not supported by said data. Yet another of your postulations falls by the wayside. When presenting absolutist pronouncements, one may wish to be capable of providing qualified documentation for such. Personal (and questionable) interpretations of dated, faith-based texts would only have credibility if supported by additional (and more empirical) information.

.

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It would be hoped that you are capable of assimilating the data recently presented and thus come to the realization that your previous statements are not supported by said data. Yet another of your postulations falls by the wayside. When presenting absolutist pronouncements, one may wish to be capable of providing qualified documentation for such. Personal (and questionable) interpretations of dated, faith-based texts would only have credibility if supported by additional (and more empirical) information.

.

I apologize if my statements come across as empirical. As I have said, I am no expert in the fields of physics or chemistry. My uncle's colleague however, is. And I will trust his expert assessment which indicate that the Great Pyramid is indeed capable, and indeed probably, a sophisticated machine of electrical implement.

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It's a mystery that hasn't been solved.If the internal chambers and tunnels has been constructed part by part as each layer of the pyramid was built then it's possible that they didn't need artificial light at all as the chambers and tunnels would have been open to sunlight and on completion just roofed over. Working inside the passageways after construction of the main edifice poses many questions. For instance: Oxygen depletion. Even working in the dark the workers would have experienced oxygen depletion within the tunnels and chambers. With oil lamps burning this problem is multiplied many times and then there is the smoke which would have been considerable. It's actually impossible for them to have built the tunnels and passageways after completion of the main edifice using oil lamps.

There was no construction of tunnels and passageways after completion of the pyramid. Besides, it has been noted before that there is soot on the walls and ceilings, indicating there were lamps burning.

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There was no construction of tunnels and passageways after completion of the pyramid. Besides, it has been noted before that there is soot on the walls and ceilings, indicating there were lamps burning.

Can you please link to notation that soot it present within the Great Pyramid?

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I apologize if my statements come across as empirical. As I have said, I am no expert in the fields of physics or chemistry. My uncle's colleague however, is. And I will trust his expert assessment which indicate that the Great Pyramid is indeed capable, and indeed probably, a sophisticated machine of electrical implement.

I do not beleive for an instant that the pyramids were generators (or that it was even possible). But just for the sake of argument, let's say they were. What, then, did they power? Where are all the remains of the devices that needed this electrical current? Where is the writing that referrs to such a magical device? This would be such a huge leap in technology, it would have been written about a great deal, all of the devices powered by such an implement would have been described in great detail, they would have at least drawn a couple of pictures showing these wonderful objects.

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I do not beleive for an instant that the pyramids were generators (or that it was even possible). But just for the sake of argument, let's say they were. What, then, did they power? Where are all the remains of the devices that needed this electrical current? Where is the writing that referrs to such a magical device? This would be such a huge leap in technology, it would have been written about a great deal, all of the devices powered by such an implement would have been described in great detail, they would have at least drawn a couple of pictures showing these wonderful objects.

They have presented images of the technology, and written about it. It is simply ignored by modern Egyptology. All you need is a sealed glass vial filled with any of a range of phosphorescent gases (neither of which would survive as artifacts in the desert over thousands of years)--it would through sheer physics illuminate. It is the same principle as was demonstrated by Nikola Tesla in 1893.

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They have presented images of the technology, and written about it. It is simply ignored by modern Egyptology. All you need is a sealed glass vial filled with any of a range of phosphorescent gases (neither of which would survive as artifacts in the desert over thousands of years)--it would through sheer physics illuminate. It is the same principle as was demonstrated by Nikola Tesla in 1893.

Bull. There would be no eason whatsoever for Egypyology of any age to ignore images and writing depicting electric devices. Show me some of these images and writings. Please do not insult me by referring to the so called "light bulb" drawing; everyone with any sense at all realises that is not what is being depicted. Ancient Egyptians did not know how to blow sealed glass vials nor to my knowledge have an understanding of phosphorescent gasses. Sealed glass vials would not deteriate for many millenia, especially if it were buried in sand.

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Bull. There would be no eason whatsoever for Egypyology of any age to ignore images and writing depicting electric devices. Show me some of these images and writings. Please do not insult me by referring to the so called "light bulb" drawing; everyone with any sense at all realises that is not what is being depicted. Ancient Egyptians did not know how to blow sealed glass vials nor to my knowledge have an understanding of phosphorescent gasses. Sealed glass vials would not deteriate for many millenia, especially if it were buried in sand.

I apologize if "ignore" was the wrong word--I thought retroactively that "overlooked" would be a better choice.

Are you suggesting that glass does not break into pieces, or that it will last, over thousands of years, being blasted with sand? Or under many dozens of pounds of sand and earth, or stone? Glass is not nearly as resilient in these environments as you are insinuating.

I apologize sincerely for the inability to locate a good photo--the hieroglyphs I'm thinking of don't appear to be readily available on the Internet (as far as I've just searched anyway).

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I apologize if "ignore" was the wrong word--I thought retroactively that "overlooked" would be a better choice.

Are you suggesting that glass does not break into pieces, or that it will last, over thousands of years, being blasted with sand? Or under many dozens of pounds of sand and earth, or stone? Glass is not nearly as resilient in these environments as you are insinuating. I apologize sincerely for the inability to locate a good photo--the hieroglyphs I'm thinking of don't appear to be readily available on the Internet (as far as I've just searched anyway).

Seems that you are borrowing from the bigfoot enthusiasts. "There is not any evidence because it all has detereorated".

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Am I "retroactively" changing my story? No.

You do again and again in different threads.

I read the pages you linked, and I must say, they are remarkably similar to mine and my uncle's thesis. I can assure you however that prior to your links, I had never seen them before. I was honestly surprised to see that essentially our theory had been reproduced.

Here you go taking credit for being the first to come up with your absurd idea. I believe you have taken the idea from the quacks on the other fringe sites.

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They have presented images of the technology, and written about it. It is simply ignored by modern Egyptology. All you need is a sealed glass vial filled with any of a range of phosphorescent gases (neither of which would survive as artifacts in the desert over thousands of years)--it would through sheer physics illuminate. It is the same principle as was demonstrated by Nikola Tesla in 1893.

I apologize if "ignore" was the wrong word--I thought retroactively that "overlooked" would be a better choice.

Are you suggesting that glass does not break into pieces, or that it will last, over thousands of years, being blasted with sand? Or under many dozens of pounds of sand and earth, or stone? Glass is not nearly as resilient in these environments as you are insinuating.

I apologize sincerely for the inability to locate a good photo--the hieroglyphs I'm thinking of don't appear to be readily available on the Internet (as far as I've just searched anyway).

There is no real textual material, per se, from Dynasty 4 that explains materials or technologies. However, from the same period the occasional tomb does show men performing any manner of industries; this is even more evidenced in tombs dating to slightly later, in Dynasty 5 and Dynasty 6. Old Kingdom private, noble, and royal tombs are a particular favorite of mine and I've spent years studying them, in depth. Publications such as these are available as free downloads and present full archaeological and (to a lesser extent) philological reports for the excavations of tombs from this era. They are not exactly thrilling reading material but they're extremely informative, and I've read them all (as have other posters, such as cormac).

Nothing in wall reliefs or paintings in Old Kingdom tombs depicts anything that might even remotely represent glass production. In fact, we know glass was not even produced natively in Egypt till around the reign of Tuthmosis III, in Dynasty 18, a thousand years after the Old Kingdom. Prior to that time, the Egyptians imported glass in ingot form from neighboring civilizations where craftsmen were more adept at the technology.

Gaden's point is well made. Egyptology is the field of study which brings the knowledge of ancient Egypt to the rest of us. Egyptologists and the myriad specialists with whom they work are the people working in those tombs, drawing and photographing and analyzing every square inch of them. Quite obviously, if there's something they missed, none of us would know about it because, well, it was missed in the original work. Therefore, claiming that there is proof of electrical production in tomb depictions that no one has seen and recorded, is idle speculation and imagination. It is not evidence.

Now, the above pertains to the archaeology and research of the Old Kingdom only. There was a tremendous length of pharaonic history following the Old Kingdom, and throughout that time the Egyptians became only more adept at materials and technologies. Tombs from later periods tend to show exponentially more depictions of workmen performing pretty much every conceivable act of labor and production known in pharaonic Egypt. Nowhere in any tomb depiction from any period is there something one can point to and say: "Look, they're making lightbulbs." Nowhere does a tomb depiction show materials or technologies that would suggest the production, storage, and distribution of electricity. Similarly, the archaeological record of pharaonic Egypt is silent on such technologies. The material culture does not yield anything suggesting it, so arguments in favor of electrical production of any sort are not in keeping with real-world, extant evidence.

In point of fact, the Egyptians made all sorts of things out of glass. From the tiniest glass beads to the most exquisite glass perfume bottles, ample quantities of ancient glass have been recovered from the archaeological sites of Egypt. No lightbulbs, however.

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...

I apologize sincerely for the inability to locate a good photo--the hieroglyphs I'm thinking of don't appear to be readily available on the Internet (as far as I've just searched anyway).

I missed this post of yours before I submitted my previous post. There's a chance I have access to a photo or line drawing of what you're looking for--if not in my own library then through the Oriental Institute. Where does the inscription or relief appear? Whose tomb of what temple?

What I neglected to suggest in my previous post is that you offer us factual evidence to support your claim. In many if not most cases the internet is dubious to begin with, so real research is always preferable. If you know of a hieroglyphic inscription or a tomb relief that really does support your claim, it is critical to present the source to us. Any number of people here can accurately interpret Egyptian reliefs as they were meant by the Egyptians to be interpreted, and I can translate hieroglyphs.

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I missed this post of yours before I submitted my previous post. There's a chance I have access to a photo or line drawing of what you're looking for--if not in my own library then through the Oriental Institute. Where does the inscription or relief appear? Whose tomb of what temple?

What I neglected to suggest in my previous post is that you offer us factual evidence to support your claim. In many if not most cases the internet is dubious to begin with, so real research is always preferable. If you know of a hieroglyphic inscription or a tomb relief that really does support your claim, it is critical to present the source to us. Any number of people here can accurately interpret Egyptian reliefs as they were meant by the Egyptians to be interpreted, and I can translate hieroglyphs.

In case you can't find it, unless it is pretty obscure or discovered within the last 8 months (last time I was in Egypt to work) chances are good that I have it.

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I apologize sincerely for the inability to locate a good photo--the hieroglyphs I'm thinking of don't appear to be readily available on the Internet (as far as I've just searched anyway).

Okay, boys, place yer bets.

Did Bool Krappi get another full-on hit?

Here's his guess:

320px-Dendera_light_002.jpg

Harte

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Okay, boys, place yer bets.

Did Bool Krappi get another full-on hit?

Here's his guess:

320px-Dendera_light_002.jpg

Harte

That sure would be a big light bulb. How is the filament staying put and not breaking off?

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Least Cladking is consistent.

Was. He claims to have left the site for good.

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Okay, boys, place yer bets.

Did Bool Krappi get another full-on hit?

Here's his guess:

320px-Dendera_light_002.jpg

Harte

Oh, dear. Crap, no, it better not be that one. I'm sick of trying to shed light on the facts of that relief.

Shed light! Ha!

But really, please, it better not be that one. <_<

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