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Monumental mysteries
THE study of human civilisation is believed to be one of the oldest and most interesting ones. Great civilisations like that of Egypt, Greece, Spain, Indus Valley and Rome are considered to be the most ancient and magnificent ones in history. Each one has its own tradition, and architectural monuments. It is a fact that since the birth of the first human being on Earth, s/he has been building different habitats. With the passage of time and improvements in the availability of materials and human resources, considerable time, money and effort began to be invested in building palaces, parks, monuments, tombs and shrines.
Just as the origin of human life dates far back in time, so does the history of such monuments and this is because of the close association between the two. Almost every civilisation on the planet has tried to leave its mark in one way or the other. Consider, for example, the trademark architectural wonders of Egypt or the Indus Valley civilisation, both of which have given new dimensions to the science of archeological research. Taking a close look at the architecture of a few prominent and significant human civilisations like that of Greece, Egypt or Spain, it is obvious that the purpose of creating such beautiful monuments was not just to provide residential places but also to leave behind historical landmarks which would serve as a reminder and a way to appreciate these civilisations. Modern science, however, is more interested in researching and defining the reasons, methods and tools which led to the development of such epic creations. Today science is trying to answer many questions related to ancient architecture. The most important ones include:
• What was the scientific basis of ancient architecture?
• What were the resources available to the people who created monuments like the Egyptian pyramids?
• Were the architects back then able to use the available resources to the best of their abilities?
• What were the reasons that led ancient architects to use bricks and stones of huge sizes when it was possible to use smaller ones as well?
The pyramids
It will not be wrong to say that the Egyptian pyramids are one of the most famous ancient monuments that ancient civilisations have had to offer and that is why they are included among the Seven Wonders of the World. The pyramids were built over 4,500 years ago along the river Nile. The reason behind their creation was simple: to provide a resting place for the mummy of the Pharaoh, King Khufu. At the time of its construction, the pyramid in question was 145.75m (481ft) high. With the passing of time, it lost almost 10m (30ft) off its top. This pyramid is considered to be the tallest ancient building on the Earth for more than 43 centuries now. It has been built with the casting of stones for smoothing its surface.
According to archeologists, the slopping angles of its corners are 51º and 51 minutes. Each side has been carefully and aesthetically designed with one of the fundamental points of the compass. Different researches on the architecture of pyramids have shown that, in a horizontal cross-section of the pyramid, it is square at any level, with each side measuring 229m (751ft) in length.
The interesting thing is that between all these measurements of side lengths, the maximum error is less than 0.1 per cent which itself tells a lot about the creativity and superior skills of these ancient architects. The whole structure has been constructed with approximately two million blocks of stone each weighing more than two tonnes. The area covered by it is so wide that it is believed the great pyramid can accommodate St Peter’s Square, the cathedrals of Florence and Milan and the Westminster in London.
The pyramids were not only built by Egyptians but also by the South and Central American civilisations – the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas – who used pyramid-shaped buildings as temples and tombs. One of the most puzzling questions related to pyramids is the mechanism which has been used for their construction and this question has been a subject of much discussion for so many years now. There is still no exact knowledge of how they were actually designed. Current estimates of show that these pyramids required at least 4,000 to 5,000 workers and approximately 20 years for their construction. This was done with the help of pulleys, ropes, ramps, ingenuity and animal force. While science is trying to explain the mysteries related to pyramids, there are various ancient philosophers and thinkers who have tried to do the same, like Al-Masudi who believes that magical powers were used in building pyramids. According to Al-Masudi, magic papyrus or paper were used for moving the stones. Metallic rods were used for levitating and moving stones, along a path lined with stones and fenced on both sides by metal poles. The stone, according to him, would travel along the way for a distance of 50m and then settle to ground. This would then continue until constructors placed the stones exactly where they wanted them.
Some scientists are of the opinion that accepting Al-Masudi’s explanation will lead to a few important possibilities regarding the construction of pyramids. For example, it is possible that the striking of rocks may have created vibrations that resulted in sonic levitations. This, in fact, is a more plausible explanation than that provided by Al-Masudi.
However, some scientists are of the opinion that accepting Al-Masudi’s explanation will lead to a few important possibilities regarding the construction of pyramids. For example, it is possible that the striking of rocks may have created vibrations that resulted in sonic levitations. This, in fact, is a more plausible explanation than that provided by Al-Masudi. Science is still establishing links between the findings of scientists and that of Al-Masudi.
The verdict
Research on the architecture of famous pyramids have shown various interesting findings. The studies presented today show that the pyramids have been constructed on perfectly designed right angled triangular patterns. This was proved when the internal layout and external sides along with the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates of the pyramids were closely compared to one another. In an interesting study by Carl P. Munck, The Code, in which he analyses the coordinate system of various pyramidal sites around the world with the help of maps, different pyramidal sites of Egypt as a grid system – known as the matrix of pyramids – have been considered. The basic geometry of these ancient sites has been studies on the level of mathematics and geometric configuration.
The findings of numbers related to triangles and perfect right-angled triangles of different pyramids indicate some sort of a connection in design between them. It is assumed that if there is a similarity between the numbers, then the most obvious match would be in their geometric expression. Various research findings show that every structure within a pyramidal site shares a common purpose and meaning with the rest of the site’s structures. The construction of each structure gives an idea that there has been a perfect design plan behind the entire architectural design. This reveals the relations of equivalency in numbers of perfect right-angled triangles. The numbers are important as they also show the possibility of accounting for the day counts of the ancient mechanism of estimation. With all these possibilities as well as other explanations, science is still unable to unveil the actual mechanism that led to the construction of these perfectly designed pyramids.
The Indus Valley civilisation
The Indus Valley is the land of sages, saints, scientists and scholars. Besides this, it is also known for the ancient architecture of Mohenjodaro, Harappa and Texilla. The inhabitants of great Indus Valley civilisation lived along the River Indus. The towns of situated in Mohenjodaro and Harappa were in full bloom 5,000 years ago. Historical and archeological evidences have shown these towns were the places from where the concept of civil societies emerged. These towns also introduced the concept of Indian architecture and civil engineering in the region.
The architectural designs of the remains of Mohenjodaro and Harappa show that the architects had technically sound knowledge of construction. Archeologists have discovered that the people back then had a few trained architects for designs. They called their civil engineers Sthapatya-kala which literally means “the art of constructing”. According to archeological researches during the periods of the Kushan and Mauryan empires, the architecture of the Indus Valley and its remarkable style of engineering found their way to Balochistan and Afghanistan. An example of this was the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan.
Within a few years, the ancient art of the Indus Valley merged with the Greek styles and spread to regions of central Asia. The scientific background such architecture has come to the forefront with research on the motifs on temple walls, which show that the ancient architects had the knowledge of basic geometrical concepts and theories. Many scientists also believe that fine mathematical calculations were also used during the construction of ancient temples, forts and residential buildings. In ancient Indian science, Vastu Shastra is an energy flow mechanism which was used in the construction of houses, temples and other buildings. According to ancient beliefs, this flow of energy allows the flow of fresh air and natural light, thus establishing a pleasant environment. This notion of construction has specific rules and regulations which, today, is considered to be a highly developed, all-inclusive building science where directions and shapes are the most significant aspects of designing.Roman architecture
In Rome the Arch of Septimius Severus has been built by using concrete. Many of us believe that concrete is an invention of modern science whereas it really isn’t. In the same way, concrete has also been used in the ancient architectural designs of Greece, Italy, France and Great Britain. In fact, Romans are known for refining the art of concrete. They knew that the addition of water made concrete stronger which modern chemistry proves today as well.
The formula for concrete construction was known since the time of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians. They made it by removing water within the molecules of limestone via roasting and, thus, made powdered lime. This was then mixed with sand for making mortar for bricks and with sand and gravel for making the gray concrete which is now commonly used in construction in the urban cities of the world. The Romans also discovered Pozzolana, which is fine-grained volcanic sand, providing resistance against wear and abrasion. It gives concrete strength against water, wind and freezing temperatures.
This helped the Romans use Pozzolana concrete in constructing bridge docks that kept the sand, borne by river currents, from wearing away the foundations of their bridges below the water. Modern architecture uses silica from blast furnace slag to replace Pozzolana used by Romans. Pozzolana concrete is still in daily use in many parts of the world.
With respect to architecture, history reveals the spirit of humanity — from Egypt, Greece, Rome and Middle East to Asia. Ancient architecture is so remarkable that even today it is one of the most famous and interesting fields of research. Since the science behind the ancient architecture is as vast as ancient architecture itself, it is important for us to know the details of these structures. With all available knowledge related to ancient architecture, it is generally believed by archeologists that there is lot more to be learned from these monuments.
The writer is a qualified dentist and a freelance contributor
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