The Floating Stones of Egypt


Book Description

People have been speculating for centuries about how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramids. Few people have paid attention to Herodotus and his writings about Egypts intricate canal system, but historian James V. Barr believes these played a critical role in pyramid construction. Relying on years of research, he presents the lock and canal system of construction. Barr also examines other theories of pyramid construction such as the levitation theory and the ramp theory. He explains why explanations of pyramid construction that do not focus on the canal system are wrong and why the canal and lock system makes the most sense. Barr hopes to show Egypt both as it once was and as it is today, sharing entirely new photographs, drawings, and maps. This is concise, informative primer for anyone who wants to learn more about the methods employed in pyramid construction. Discover the ingenuity of the ancient Egyptians and dig deeper into some of their greatest feats of engineering as you take a trip back in time on The Floating Stones of Egypt.




The Grand Museum of Egypt


Book Description

In January 2002, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture ran a competition for an innovative design for a new Grand Museum of Egypt. This two-volume publication contains sketches, plans, elevations and computer models of the prize-winning design and all other second-phase entries.




Floating Stones


Book Description

The authors, an Architect and an Engineer, describe how the Great Pyramid was built by the Ancient Egyptians using their existing knowledge of hydrology and maritime technology and the skills developed over centuries of agricultural development.




Archaeology and Geology of Ancient Egyptian Stones


Book Description

This book seeks to identify and describe all the rocks and minerals employed by the ancient Egyptians using proper geological nomenclature, and to give an account of their sources in so far as they are known. The various uses of the stones are described, as well as the technologies employed to extract, transport, carve, and thermally treat them.




Sticks, Stones, and Shadows


Book Description

What do the pyramids of Egypt really represent? What could have driven so many to so great, and often so dangerous, an effort? Was the motivation religious or practical? Illustrated with more than 300 photographs and drawings, this book presents an original approach to the subject of pyramid building. It reveals the connection between devices that served both a practical need for survival and a spiritual belief in gods and goddesses. It examines Egyptian technologies and techniques from the origins of pyramid development to the step-by-step details of how the ground was leveled, how the site was oriented, and how the stone was raised and placed to meet at a distant point in the sky. Here the author also asks and answers questions virtually ignored for the last century. He discloses, for example, the ancient use of shadows, now denigrated to the ornamental back-yard sundial, but once an important tool for telling the height of an object, geographical directions, the seasons of the year, and the time of day. He also reinterprets the ancient "stretching of the cord" ceremony, which once was thought to have only religious significance but here is shown as the means of establishing the sides of a pyramid.




The Heartless Stone


Book Description

In 2000, Tom Zoellner purchased a diamond engagement ring and proposed. His girlfriend said, "yes" and then, suddenly, walked out of his life making Tom the owner of a used engagement ring. Instead of hitting the self-help shelves of his local bookstore, he hit the road travelling to diamond mines in Africa, Canada, India, Brazil and Russia to discover the true worth of this shining gem. He travelled to Japan to understand how diamonds were linked with engagements and delved into the history of our own American romance with the diamond ring. He gained entry to DeBeers, the London diamond merchants. He visited shopping mall jewellers with starry-eyed couples. Through all of his travels, he searched for an answer to the question "How has one stone created empires, ruined lives, inspired lust and emptied wallets throughout history?" A diamond version of Susan Orleans's The Orchid Thief, Tom Zoellner's The Heartless Stone is a journey to the cold heart of the world's most unyielding gem.




Inigo's Stones


Book Description

Written by a geologist rather than an art historian, Inigo’s Stones has a down to earth narrative which reveals Inigo Jones as a stone expert who dealt with masons to became a shrewd businessman, bringing Portland stones to London, and founding the modern Portland stone industry.Why are so many of London’s famous buildings, for example Buckingham Palace, the British Museum, the Bank of England, the government offices in Whitehall, faced with stones from the Isle of Portland, more than a hundred miles away? Until now the reasons that prompted famous architect Inigo Jones to bring blocks of this creamy limestone all the way by sea from the Royal Manor of Portland and thereby found the modern Portland stone industry had been something of a mystery.Working with archival research specialist James Derriman, geologist Tom Williamson has now reconstructed a scenario that solves the mystery. It is a complex tale that involves the marriage of Inigo’s chief Banqueting House mason Nicholas Stone to the daughter of the City Mason of booming Amsterdam, a nasty incident at the stone-loading pier at Portland and Inigo Jones’s struggles to pay stone workers from King James’s bankrupt Treasury.The new findings presented in Inigo’s Stones also see Inigo Jones studying Roman stones and marbles in Italy with Lord and Lady Arundel, initiating the first geological study of Stonehenge, searching for Portland stones big enough to replicate the Carystian marble monoliths of the Roman temple of Antoninus and Faustina in London and procuring Irish marbles to reflect imperial glory on his friend King Charles I. Inigo emerges not just as a Court propagandist and Vitruvian architect, but also as a resourceful businessman doing his best to cope at a time when the government was even shorter of cash than it is today.Reflecting on the questions raised by Inigo’s work for the Stuart kings, the author Tom Williamson extends the story to cover the whole field of how rulers have used stones and marbles to project imperial power. Focusing on the stones of three once-mighty empires, the Roman, the Mughal and the British, the book ends with a surprising twist.










The Greatest Classics of Ancient Greece


Book Description

The Greatest Classics of Ancient Greece' showcases an unparalleled anthology drawing from the profound well of Hellenic literature, spanning the epic to the philosophical, the tragic to the comedic. It casts a wide net over the variegated tapestry of Greek literary tradition, encapsulating the diverse methodologies, themes, and stylistic flourishes that have come to define Western literary and intellectual culture. Highlighting works that range from the heroic odysseys of Homer to the penetrating dialogues of Plato, and the stirring tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides, this collection stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Greek thought, artistry, and narrative genius. The anthology not only revels in the beauty and complexity of these ancient texts but also places them within the broader context of their societal, philosophical, and historical significance. The contributing authors and editors, themselves legends like Aristotle, Plato, and Sappho among others, are foundational figures whose works have shaped not just literary but also philosophical and political thought across millennia. Their collective output represents a confluence of the many streams of Greek intellectual and artistic achievement, with each contribution reflecting the nuanced cultural, historical, and intellectual contexts of their creation. This rich background underscores the anthology's alignment with pivotal cultural and literary movements, from the heights of Athenian drama to the philosophical inquiries of the Hellenistic period, offering readers a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of Ancient Greek literature. 'The Greatest Classics of Ancient Greece' is essential reading for anyone seeking to immerse themselves in the foundational texts of Western civilization. This anthology offers a unique lens through which to explore the vast landscape of Greek literature, providing a detailed overview of its themes, styles, and historical import. It is not merely a collection to be appreciated by scholars but an invitation to all who wish to explore the depths of human thought, emotion, and creativity as encapsulated in these timeless works. Through its careful curation and scholarly commentary, this collection fosters a dialogue between the ancient authors and the modern reader, encouraging a deeper understanding and appreciation for the rich literary heritage of Ancient Greece.