Moving Giant Stones

[Baz Dane]

So I came across this video on Youtube and I thought "awesome!" ... finally, something I can see with my own eyes that shows how people just using ropes and and some smarts can easily transport massive, cut rocks, not only uphill, but across rivers etc.

I remember UM member, Seeder posting a pic of some natives with a big rock in ropes with the intention(action?) of moving it, and I wanted to know if there was any video footage of something similar and voila...

Go to about the 10:17 mark of the video:

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There, you can see a crew of 250 people(made up of men, women, and CHILDREN!) moving a 15TON! slab with ease! ... UP-grade at that.

15 TONS!

So imagine the ancient King with a crew of thousands of strong bodied MEN doing the building and moving and what they might accomplish.

It's explained earlier in the video that the "roads" they built were made up of smaller boulders(like baseball sized or smaller) with a layer of smaller rocks on top of them on which the slab just rolls along.

They also try transporting a smaller boulder across a river with minor problems... though it's a much smaller boulder, again, a much bigger team of experienced "movers" would have no troubles with it.

As well, the boulder they drop from the valley, I believe, happened as a result of it being "roundish" as opposed to being a more rectangular flatter cut block. Being cut, I believe would allow for easier control going down the steepest parts... And again, with a larger more experienced workforce that do that kind of thing all their lives.

All the more reason to quarry and cut the rock at the quarry before transportation as well perhaps?

This video doesn't have all the answers, and may not even have a correct answer in it... BUT I have to admit, it works for me.

I once questioned how a people supposedly without the wheel could move such huge stones, up and down valleys and across rivers, and there ya go... visual proof of how it could be done with simple means, and some muscle.

On a side note... AA do exist... Don't go and make me bring Gazoo into this!

[cladking]

I wonder why they said they were dragging it up a slope when it was actually a flat surface.

They could have dragged it up a slope probably.

250 people can move hevy weights. It only takes about 75 to push an empty semi through drifting snow.

[The_Spartan]

What ???

No geyser thingy explanation for moving the stones/blocks????

[Gingitsune]

I didn't thought it would be so easy to move such a big rock on a rock bed with no roller or anything. Thanks for the video, Lemieux.

[Rafterman]

We modern humans tend to forget that our forefathers were just as smart and ingenious as we are. Sure, they didn't have the technology we have today, but they weren't dumb.

[MissJatti]

imagine how many people was required from start to finish to complete mind blowing monuments in ancient times such as the great pyramids.

an great accomplishment we all should give another round of applause to :clap:

[Xynoplas]

Interesting vid. I believe it's in Costa Rica. You see a village in the jungle banding together to move a boulder.

I was actually looking for one like this that I saw earlier. But it was in SE Asia and the boulder was a LOT bigger.

[xstortionist]

Moving giant stones you can use ropes, logs and man power. This isn't rocket science.

[cladking]

I don't understand why people are gushing over this. These people were

only pulling an average 120 pounds each on a level surface. No work is

taking place except to overcome friction. It certainly doesn'ty prove that

every stone or heavy weight moved in the past was dragged by people.

Who didn't know that a lot of people pulling on something would move it?

This is a non event except it is fun to get together and move the immovable.

I've done it before alone with a pry bar and a drive system and with dozens

of people.

Edited February 13, 2014 by cladking

[Baz Dane]

Wow, no one said it was rocket science... But as I pointed out... and there's plenty of people out there like myself... I had never actually seen something on the scale of a 15ton slab being moved in an explanation to show how perhaps maybe the Inca, or Mayans MAY have done it themselves.

Trying to drag something like that across the dirt and up and down valleys didn't seem logical to me.

The "cobbled" roads that the team identified, points to a better solution IMO.

And if you payed attention, they are dragging the stone UP hill... not across a flat surface as you say Cladking.

"the sloping cobbled surface is a good approximation of the eight-degree ramp that leads up to the sun temple."

It may be slight, but it's there.

It also may be a non-event for some like yourself, but for others like myself, seeing this with my own eyes was indeed a worthwhile event. Cleared up a few questions for me.

And for a non-event, why did you bother to post at all? Should be a non-topic then right?

But I guess people like to complain about something, or play games or whatever, so I'll go along with it...

"This is a non event except it is fun to get together and move the immovable.

I've done it before alone with a pry bar and a drive system and with dozens

of people."

Soooo, you've moved a 15ton slab of rock before? And with a pry bar and "dozens" of people?

That's awesome!

Sources please!

Surely you have some video footage of such a feat... Ooops, except that it's a non-event to you, so I suppose said footage doesn't exist.

Zzzing!

Sorry man, I just couldn't resist.

Oh and cheers Gingitsune! Glad you enjoyed it... I sure did

[cladking]

And if you payed attention, they are dragging the stone UP hill... not across a flat surface as you say Cladking.

"the sloping cobbled surface is a good approximation of the eight-degree ramp that leads up to the sun temple."

Actually they SAID it was up a slope but the street they showed was flat as evidenced

by the long building that was all the same height. Either the building had a sloping floor

and a sloping roof or the camera was turned at an angle and they just SAID it was a slope.

The latter is far easier than the former and far more likely than a slanted building.

It also may be a non-event for some like yourself, but for others like myself, seeing this with my own eyes was indeed a worthwhile event. Cleared up a few questions for me.

That's cool.

I never had the slightest doubt people can move much heavier things than this with

muscle power along.

And for a non-event, why did you bother to post at all?

People tend to extrapolate things like this to reinforce their beliefs.

Soooo, you've moved a 15ton slab of rock before? And with a pry bar and "dozens" of people?

That's awesome!

I've moved much heavier things than this by myself. ...Many times.

I've never moved a single natural stone more than about 3/4 ton except to push it down a hill.

[seeder]

Heres an example of shifting a big rock that was witnessed and of course documented

The statue's pedestal is the enormous Thunder Stone, claimed to be the largest stone ever moved by man (1,250 t). In its original state the stone weighed about 1500 tonnes. It was carved during transportation to its current site.

http://en.wikipedia....Bronze_Horseman

Making the feat even more impressive was that the labour was done entirely by humans; no animals or machines were used in bringing the stone from the original site to the Senate Square. After Carburis devised the method, it took 400 men nine months to move the stone, during which time master stonecutters continuously shaped the enormous granite monolith.

Catherine periodically visited the effort to oversee their progress. The larger capstans was turned by 32 men, this just barely moving the rock. A further complication was the availability of only 100 m of track, which had to be constantly disassembled and relaid.

Nevertheless, the workers made over 150 m of progress a day while on level ground. Upon arrival at the sea an enormous barge was constructed exclusively for the Thunder Stone. The vessel had to be supported on either side by two full-size warships.[8] After a short voyage, the stone reached its destination in 1770, after nearly two years of work. A medal was issued to commemorate its arrival, with the legend "Close to Daring".

.

Edited February 13, 2014 by seeder

[seeder]

I remember UM member, Seeder posting a pic of some natives with a big rock in ropes

here you go again

People on Nias Island in Indonesia move monoliths to a construction site, circa 1915

Image found on this wiki page about a list of the largest monoliths moved by man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_monoliths_in_the_world

[Rafterman]

When you've got all the time in the world and lots of willing participants, you can accomplish amazing things.

[Perceptivum]

I love this, this is great. Not that we didn't really understand how they did it, but to see it in action provides the necessary "back-up" for our understanding. However, what puzzles me the most is not how large, monolithic stones were moved from place to place, but how did our ancient human brothers and sisters cut these stones in a precise way (i.e., Cuzco, Peru).

[cladking]

I love this, this is great. Not that we didn't really understand how they did it, but to see it in action provides the necessary "back-up" for our understanding. However, what puzzles me the most is not how large, monolithic stones were moved from place to place, but how did our ancient human brothers and sisters cut these stones in a precise way (i.e., Cuzco, Peru).

"And if you payed attention, they are dragging the stone UP hill... not across a flat surface as you say Cladking.

"the sloping cobbled surface is a good approximation of the eight-degree ramp that leads up to the sun temple."

It may be slight, but it's there.

It also may be a non-event for some like yourself, but for others like myself, seeing this with my own eyes was indeed a worthwhile event. Cleared up a few questions for me."

You see, this is exactly why I said something in the first place.

250 people drag a 15 ton stione on level ground and suddenly this becomes proof that

the millions of tons of stone lifted to very great altitude in the distant past mustta all been

dragged there. It wouldn't matter if they had only 100 men dragging it up a steep slope

the fact is that it means nothing other than you can get 100 men together now days to drag

a stone.

But 250 on level ground is less than a non-event. It's almost evidence they couldn't do it

or they discovered it was far harder than they believed. Maybe they ground to a stop when

they hit the hill.

Be all this as it may, pulling 120 pounds isn't going to get you far in building Machu Pichu or

any of the ancient megalithic sites. It doesn't prove anything was built by dragging stones.

Common sense says that lots of people pulling on the same stone will move it. I'm surprised

it took 250 of them.

Edited February 14, 2014 by cladking

[dreamland]

they did that move them... they levitate them.