Steve Clayton Wrote:
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> You are missing the point...
>
> Anything you can do to a 40 ton counter weight,
> grease this and grease that, can be done to the 40
> ton stone. No need for this ridiculous
> contraption. The fact that others have entertained
> this unworkable concept, lends nothing to an ill
> conceived concept. It sounds as though you are
> entertaining the , " I have no idea, therefore it
> must have been Aliens." Propose this concept to
> any Physics teacher, and hear what he has to say.
>
> You are lifting one weight, 40 tons, to help you
> lift another weight of 40 tons. This is something
> I would expect to see in the "Dumb and Dumber"
> movie.

You're missing the point. Ramps are wholly debunked based on the physical evidence but there are still five primary points of simple logic that show they would not and likely could not have been used. Ramps are inane based on this logic, common sense, and the physical evidence. They also are historically and culturally inappropriate. They didn't even have the word "ramp".

However, logic does not dictate against counterweights. Indeed, every single primary reason not to use ramps DOESN'T apply to counterweights.

1.,= Ramps are difficult to build, remove, rebuild to install cladding, and remove again. They require extreme effort. The grand gallery actually is a void and this void required LESS stone. Without the void they'd have had that much more stone to lift.

2.,= There is limited room for men on ramps. With all the traffic they'd have to build enormous ramps. This isn't an issue for men working on the flat pyramid top to pull the counterweight back up. They could use far more men than necessary so the guy with the hangover didn't stop the lift and traffic.

3.,= A man dragging a stone on a ramp can barely drag more than his own weight and he has to lift his own weight up the pyramid. Working on a flat surface men didn't need to lift their own weight so they could lift much more.

4.,= On a ramp your feet fall off behind you. You can't get a good purchase to put your strength into it. On a flat surface you can pull much harder.

5.,= On a ramp there is a continual tradeoff between a low friction surface for the load and high friction for the draggers. In the grand gallery friction could be reduced to very low levels as the men worked in comfort with first aid and supplies right at hand.

Egyptologists have got to climb down from their ramps and high horses. They missed it. There were no ramps. Get over it already. The builders were not bumpkins and probably not superstitious like Egyptologists and modern people.