cladking Wrote:
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> Steve Clayton Wrote:

> > Yes, a ramp (Incline Plain) is lifting. Though
> it
> > requires less energy than a dead lift.
>
> No!!!
>
> It requires more. Much much more. Indeed, using
> primitive technology, materials and knowledge it
> might require as much as about 50 times more work,
> energy, and power to lift. It merely requires a
> lower force to move the stone.

Just to be clear on this point they could have dragged stones up the sides of five step pyramids as clearly evidenced, they could have dragged stones up the sides of the finished pyramid as is logical, or they could have dead lifted the stones from the center of the pyramid which would have totally eliminated any ramps or friction from ramps. As I keep telling you though once friction has been reduced to copper on lubricated copper it becomes irrelevant. Forget it! It would just require a little extra work or a little extra water (to do that same amount of work).

I believe ancient people didn't think like us and this is why Egyptologists can't understand the writing or how the pyramids were built. This is why the sceptres and icons are of unknown origin and why it's believed that they had a complex religion and believed in magic. If you factor out beliefs about the ancients all that's left is evidence but we can't do that because we are so different. Indeed, even though you and I have an engineering perspective we have a hard time communicating. Imagine a bunch of superstitious bumpkins from "many origins" trying to work together to drag stones up ramps!!! It would take weeks to define "ramp" and with no "god of ramps" nobody would be willing to build it or get on it. The ancients weren't the ones with 'many origins", we are. But at least all the Egyptologists seem to be on about the same page.