The Pharaoh's stone

Description

The life-size statue of Pharaoh Khafra at Giza evokes an intriguing logistical question: how did ancient Egyptian builders transport a three-ton block of gneiss granite five hundred miles from its source? This program offers a set of viable answers, examining technology and working conditions prevalent in Egypt 4,500 years ago. Considering the possibility that the statue was precut at Khafra's remote quarry site, the program also hypothesizes a North African climate far greener than today's-with a wadi conveniently connected to the Nile, and an early type of amphibious vehicle for reaching the waterway. A reduced-scale, fully functional reconstruction of the craft is featured.

Runtime

25 min

Series

Subjects

Genre

Date of Publication

[2006], c2004

Database

Films on Demand

Direct Link

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