http://SaturnianCosmology.Org/ mirrored file For complete access to all the files of this collection see http://SaturnianCosmology.org/search.php ========================================================== Djed, Ankh, and other ancient symbols from Egypt Raising the Djed /Copyright © 2006 Tasker. Presented with permission. /All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any other means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed./ The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 assert the right of Steven Tasker to be identified as the author of this publication. / /The following are excerpts from the *e-Book by Steven Tasker*./ Preface Speculations regarding the technical abilities of our ancestors abound but one burning question shrouded in mystery stands out from our past, ?How did the Egyptians raise the pyramid stones that were the backbone of its construction?? If this knowledge was lost with the decline of the ancient world, all we can do is wonder and investigate the how and the why! Secrets locked in the past. The work and dedication of countless scholars, especially the archaeological fraternity, have been invaluable to modern science. However, if the solution to the mystery of the pyramids was dependent on academic qualifications, it could be argued that surely it should have been solved years ago. Scholars maintain that the Egyptians left no written records relating to the construction of the pyramids. The theory proposed in this work is based on man?s ability to learn and adapt known technology of the time, with basic materials and a large dose of ingenuity. I was taught that man evolved from prehistoric caves, learnt how to make fire, hunt for food then progressed to domesticate animals and ultimately farming. To me this represented a learning curve, that our ancestors were perhaps less intelligent than ourselves at the beginning of this time line. Intelligence in general terms is a mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, it also reflects a broader and deeper capability for comprehending our surroundings "catching on," "making sense" of things, or "figuring out" what to do, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and most of all learn from experience?. When modern man fails to answer a mystery, it can be said that this knowledge has surpassed modern man, perhaps indicating that modern man is not so intelligent after all. Perhaps we have all made erroneous assumptions regarding our ancestors which have, in turn lead us to this dead end of being unable to solve the mystery. Answers to these questions are sometimes more complex than we can imagine, but holding on to established theories as the truth regardless of other possible hypotheses or explanations would no doubt hold back man?s progress. People look at the same evidence and interpret it differently, that?s just human nature. We all have our unique perspective, and see and interpret according to it. The building blocks of history are built on the interpretations of our peers of archaeological artefacts and ancient texts left by our ancestors. We depend on this information to help know our place in the universe, to understand where we have come from, where we are going and how are we going to get there. A significant percentage of what we know of our past is based on theory and conjecture, or educated guesses. Often, it is the simplest answer that?s the hardest to accept. If we fail to answer these and many other secrets of the past we are doing a disservice not only to our ancestors but also to ourselves, and to the generations to come. So, this inevitably raises the question ?Why have I written this book when the bookshelves of our libraries groan under the weight of pyramid theories?? Well that?s a story in itself. I intend to demonstrate through an analysis of current interpretation that the ancients did leave clues within the stories of myth that they told, and the hieroglyphic symbols they left behind. The analysis will be accompanied with models specifically built to test this theory. In this model building process, one can see the concept in action, and the associated problems that have to be overcome during pyramid construction. It is argued in this work that the ancient Egyptians possessed a construction technique unknown to modern man. They also had the ability to quarry and process stone at an alarming rate. I do not regard myself as a free thinker or believe that aliens or giants raised the pyramid stones. I am just an average guy who challenges widely held ideas and theories and suggests an alternative interpretation based on common sense. The Egyptians built it; all we have to do is figure out is how. ?It?s that easy, but where do you start?? Unless stated otherwise, all images have been provided by the author. The Holiday The story starts in the summer of 2004, when my wife and I toured an ancient Greek temple site named Olympia. This site marked the origin of the Olympic Games. Our guide, a young girl studying at university, told us stories of the ancient Greeks, and spoke of mysteries and the gods. Being a good orator, she held our attention with her tails of mystery and myth but some of her explanations led me to question her knowledge. This was the first time I had ever questioned the viewpoint of an academic. I was intrigued with the ancient buildings that surrounded the area, and the techniques that were used to construct such massive monuments at a time when no motorized mechanical machines existed. How did they build such monumental structures like the temples of Olympia or in-fact the Parthenon without the aid of computer models and electronic communications, not to mention the logistical problems of labour, food and transport? I started to investigate the possible ways in which these buildings could have been constructed. Scholars admit, voiced by Manolis Korres (The stones of the Parthenon, Melissa 2000 page 7) ?that even with today?s high powered electric and petrol engines, and the use of powered tools and modern machinery, it would be impossible to construct a replica of the Parthenon today?. So ?How did they do it?? After considerable thought and discussions, I proposed a little ramp theory and a new method of construction. The basic idea indicates that the grooves in the column drums at most temple sites are an aid to construction. In the diagram below is a single column drum protected by quarter round battens cut to match the shape of an inverted cypress tree. The tapering of the column is a direct effect of using a tree to protect the groove. You can now roll the drums without chipping or damaging the stone. The grooves in the drum can be pre-cut to support the batten, or left smooth and cut later, depending on the weight and spacing between the columns. Pictured above is a hypothetical set up of the construction site. The idea is simple. Drums are arranged into a square base and successive drums are rolled into position using small platforms between each drum. The battens that protect the drum also act as support for the platforms. In this scenario, drums are rolled in an anti-clockwise fashion. To gain height, small ramps are positioned between each drum. The pusher has a small area to rest on the top of each drum. The pusher goes up the ramp and then rests, and proceeds up to the next ramp and then takes another rest. In this way, the construction workers make what initially looks like a daunting task, simple. Finally, all the column stones to complete the structure are pulled up in a designated order, with the highest placed stones being brought up first and so on. You now lower the drums down the little ramps, assembling the temple from the top down. You may think that I am way off topic talking about the ancient Greeks. However, the general consensus of opinion is that the Greeks obtained their technical ability from the Egyptians and according to George Sarton, (A History of Science Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1952) Sarton points out that ?the Greeks did not suddenly ?invent? science: ?the Greek ?miracle? was prepared by millennia of work in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and possibly other regions?. Since my hypothesis started at the ancient site of Olympia, it is only fitting for this work to begin here. What the Egyptians Knew I wondered whether this hypothesis of the ?little ramp theory? had its roots set back further in time, and whether it could be adapted to other buildings. Could the hypothesis hold true for support both the construction of temples in Greece and of the pyramids in Egypt? To begin the investigation, it may be pertinent to mention reverse engineering, a common way of developing a hypothesis to explain the construction of a particular thing. There are countless mysteries the solution for which there may be many clues. However, if because of an erroneous hypothesis, or because of the perspective of the researcher, these clues are not fully understood or not recognized, the enigma and the mystery will remain. Conversely, if the hypothesis is correct, it should solve some, if not all, the secrets. Clearly, stability and having stable platform from which to work were absolutely necessary. The Egyptians knew the value of kinetic energy and the value of increasing the pressure to a cutting tool. You can see evidence of this in the picture above. The efficiency of the drill was reinforced by the addition of the weights, probably in the form of sand which was placed in leather bags and steadied with string on the rod of the drill. There is also evidence that the Egyptians used lathes and drills, as seen in the Cairo museum (top right). Pictured left is a painting from the 5th dynasty tomb of Ty at Saqqara. It shows two carpenters using a bow drill on a piece of wooden furniture. The man on the right is pushing the drill onto the wood with a capstone, while the other is rotating the drill by moving the bow backwards and forwards. The bow can also be used to operate a cutting wheel. Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian culture since predynastic times. The ancient bow evolved from the ability to make fire, and by rubbing two sticks by hand. A natural progression of this would be to rotate the sticks by another method; evolution involves a continuous process of adaptation. This art of making fire from our natural surroundings is still practiced today. An example can be seen with The Society of Primitive Technology, Rexburg USA an organization dedicated to the research, practice, and teaching of primitive technology, it promotes the practice and teaching of indigenous life skills. The components of the bow drill consist of the spindle, the hearthboard, the bow and the bearing block. Downward pressure is applied by pushing down on the bearing block. The spindle is rotated by pushing the bow backwards and forwards. In the photo above, notice the left thumb is used to push down on the string to separate the string as the spindle is rotating. This keeps the strings from abrading each other. Also in the photo, the right wrist is locked into the shin of the right leg to stabilize the rotating spindle. (Maintaining stability is an important point which will be discussed later.) A leaf is then placed underneath the notch to catch the char dust. A consistent sawing motion is used to create char build-up in the notch. Once the spindle on the hearthboard begins to smoke, the char dust ignites into an ember. The glowing ember is then transferred from the leaf to the tinder bundle, and animal down is placed in the tinder bundle (see photo at left). This helps to extend the fire of the ember. The tinder bundle is then blown into in order to ignite the ember. One of the problems inherent in the bow drill friction fire method is when trying to start a fire with a bow drill. First, the cord is not wrapped tightly enough around the spindle so that the cord slips and the spindle stop?s spinning. Increased rubbing also weakens the cord away or the spindle then slides out of the socket and propelled by the increasing tension in the string, it flies through the air. The ancient Egyptians came up with a solution. They placed an extra long cord on the bow and either tied the middle of the cord around the spindle or passed the cord through a hole drilled in the middle of the spindle. Next, they wrapped the extra length of cord around the spindle. This made slippage of the cord impossible and it prevented the spindle from flipping into someone's eye. This non-slip connection between the cord and spindle may also allow the use of a thinner, weaker cord. Pictures courtesy of Dick Baugh primitive ways. A natural progression for the bow drill is to fit a cutting bit to the tip. Again, the ancient Egyptians came up with this idea themselves. Denys Stocks, an Egyptologist who has studied and tested ancient Egyptian tools for more than two decades, in his book (Experiments in Egyptian Archaeology Publisher, Routledge 2003 ) Stocks experimented with copper tools that the ancients used. A copper tube can be fixed to the tip of the shaft. This transforms the rotating shaft into a drill. Stocks found that the bow drill relied on the quartzite in sand to do the actual cutting. It was found that this tubular copper drill was able to cut at a ratio of three to one (i.e., one inch in depth of stone cut would wear out three inches of copper tube). As the drill increased in size, so the dimensions of bow had to increase accordingly. However, there must come a point when the bow becomes ineffective and difficult to hold. The reader is probably wondering what bow drills have got to do with building the pyramids. Please stay with me and hopefully all will become clear. So, the Egyptians possessed this early drilling machine. However, was anything written in the ancient texts that is pertinent to this constructional theory? The Djed - Introduction It is in man?s nature to show off the symbols of his power and the means by which the power is achieved. For example, the symbols of a gun or a hammer and sickle on a flag represent man?s struggle towards progress. If you were to show an image of a gun to our ancestors, I suspect that he would have no idea what its real function was. Our ancestors could interpret it as some type of cart or chariot. Have the Egyptians left clues in the hieroglyphic symbols that we just cannot see? I carefully observed and researched the pharaoh?s temple and burial chambers. Could the answers lie there? The photos below show funerary furniture depicting the Djed, ankh, sceptre and Tyet symbols from the tomb of Tutankhamen, now exhibited at the Cairo museum. At this time, I had no idea what the symbols meant, so I used the Internet to research the specific meaning of each symbol. The ankh ?looped cross? is said by scholars to represent the breath of life, but its true meaning remains a mystery to Egyptologists. Some have speculated that it represents a stylized womb. Sir Alan Gardiner (Egyptian Grammar Oxford University Press June 1957) speculated that it represents a sandal strap, with the loop going around the ankle. However, no single hypothesis has yet been widely accepted. The ?Was? or sceptre pictured either side of the ankh was carried by deities as a sign of their power. It is also depicted being carried by kings and later by people of lesser stature in mortuary scenes. Notwithstanding this, no real explanation has been given of its original function. Regarding the tyet or tiet symbol, its exact origin is unknown. In many respects, it resembles an ankh except that its arms curve down. Its meaning is also reminiscent of the ankh; it is often translated to mean welfare or life. As early as the Third Dynasty, the tiet is used as decoration when it appears with the djed column, and later with the ?was? scepter. The tiet is associated with Isis and is often called "the knot of Isis" or "the blood of Isis." It seems to be called "the knot of Isis" because it resembles a knot used to secure garments that the gods wore. Thus, once again there are no real answers regarding the original form or function. Lastly, the question arises concerning the djed symbol right, and pictured left and next to the tyet, ?What could it possibly represent, and why is it next to the tyet?? Why do both symbols sit on quarter round shaped bowls? The djed is one of the most recognizable symbols of ancient Egypt. I decided to concentrate my initial analysis there. 18th Dynasty ankh from the reign of Amenhotep II made of Wood Covering all the bases with an ankh, djed and was-sceptre as an amulet /Left: 18th Dynasty ankh from the reign of Amenhotep II made of Wood Source: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh.htm Right: Ankh with Dejed and Scepter/ Djed Pillar showing the rings of a papyrus column A Tyet Knot from the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Some amulets were clearly not red, as this beautiful one of faience indicates /Left: Djed Pillar showing the rings of a papyrus column Source: http://touregypt.net/featurestories/djedpillar.htm Right: A Tyet Knot from the Tomb of Tutankhamun. http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/tyet.htm / The Djed The Egyptian pharaohs carried a talisman called a Djed, which represented power and stability. As I mentioned it is the most recognizable symbol of ancient Egypt. It is often depicted standing on a square base. Some show the pillar portrayed with human arms holding the ankh and a flail. Some scholars have suggested that the djed represents fertility or the more widely accepted view is that the djed represents strength and stability. /The ceremony of "Raising the Dejed"/ The djed was a popular amulet and all of its meanings are represented in (Laurie Schneider Adams, Jacques Szaluta Psychoanalysis and the Humanities Psychology Press UK 1996). The ceremony of ?Raising the Djed? (pictured above) was an important Egyptian festival. The Djed was considered necessary to help transform human flesh into the spiritual form assumed by the deceased in eternity. In order to protect and transform the flesh into the spiritual form, a pyramid is needed. The question then arises ?How can the djed protect and transform?? [Image of a Djed]/ Djed/ I studied the picture of the djed (above) for about three hours. I asked myself ?Could the crook fit over the small protrusion at the top of the djed?? This idea led me to imagine the column in three dimensions, like some type of round post. The four cross bars would now look like spools. Then, so to speak, the penny dropped! I view the Djed as a capstan, a tall capstan with three roped spools, two for power and one for rewinding the ropes. It would be similar to a winch or windlass but would have the ability to act as a primitive slip clutch. To operate a conventional capstan, capstan bars or long poles are inserted in holes over the wasp or waisted drum. Sailors would rotate the mechanism by walking around the capstan pushing on the levers. A rope wrapped tightly around the centre of the capstan would draw the ship to the dockside or pull huge loads onboard. A capstan would provide the necessary sustained torque to haul up the anchor. Thus, the spools replaced the levers. Rotating the capstan or djed is now dependent on the amount of men pulling on the spooled ropes rather than the number of men walking around the mechanism. Cheop?s solar boat was buried next to the great pyramid. It was discovered after the Second World War. Egyptian life revolved around the sea and the Nile River. The use of ropes and rigging would be second nature to the inhabitants. The Djed represents an adaptation of well known and commonly used technology. I decided to build a model of the Djed. The dimensions and precise shape of the Djed were taken from my imagination. If I was to be taken seriously, the model would have to work. I visited my local wood supplier and purchased a newel post, a length of wood found at the top or bottom of a staircase that held the hand rails in position. The newel post was the size I required for what I envisaged, the construction of a quarter scale model. Three spools were fashioned out of a sheet of MDF fibreboard. I then attached sash ropes to the top and bottom spools and wound them in a clockwise direction, and wound the centre spool rope in an anticlockwise direction. The flared base of the Djed was constructed from 2 mm plywood and several tins of car body filler. To rotate the mechanism one would need some type of pivot or bearing underneath the flared base. This was made from a mold, I used a cereal bowl and, once again, copious quantities of car body filler. The pivot base was made from gypsum plaster. To make this, I fashioned a box roughly 6 inches high and 12 inches square. I then poured in the plaster and set in the wet plaster a reverse mold of the Djed base. The inverted Djed column (pictured left) resembles the stone columns at Karnack Temple. Could the mysterious shaped columns at Karnack represent other parts of the machine? A questionable point but certainly a question worthy of further investigation. I tested the Djed model which was able to pull 120 pounds up a 10 degree slope. The two pullers required very little effort to raise the bricks. The first photograph shows the Djed balanced by the hand the second person rewinds the mechanism by walking backwards. The third person tightens the tow rope against the base of the Djed. In the second photograph, the Djed is at the start of its first rotation. As the workers pull the ropes, the sledge laden with bricks ascends. The djed, therefore, represents a simple vertical rotating second class lever, made of wood revolving in a stone pivot, similar to the bow drill but obviously on a much larger scale. The djed probably started life as a very large drill. It was stated earlier that as the drill increased in size so too did the bow. The circumference of the drill shaft and the length of the bow string limited the number of rotations it could turn. To increase the number of rotations acting on the drill bit, the bow would be removed and separate roped spools added (see diagram below). This act of separating the ropes also protects them from the effects of abrading each other, as noted earlier. The number of rotations is now dependent on the length of the rope wrapped around the drill shaft. Increasing the length of the rope also increases the circumference of the spool when it is fully rewound. In my experiments this had a variable gearing effect with a ratio of approximately 4 to 1; producing torsion and rotation about an axis, or in layman?s terms torque. These ropes will now be referred to as power ropes. It is uncontroversial for us to accept that the Egyptians had the means and the know how to rotate a shaft. Coincidentally, the top view of the djed pictured below is similar to the hieroglyph Ra. The Method To convert this rotating shaft into a winch would only need a second rope (known as a tow rope) to be wrapped tightly around the base of the revolving shaft. Control of the tow rope would be essential. If the shaft was unaltered, that is if it remained straight in profile, the ability to predict the ropes course up and down the shaft whilst being drawn in on the tow would be unknown. If the tow rope traveled too far up the shaft the weight of the stone acting on the rotating lever would be too great and ultimately it would be pulled from its bearing; if it traveled too far down, it would be entangled against the base pivot stone and the shaft. Again, this would be most undesirable. Control was regained by adding the flared base. As with a modern winch, this flared base kept the rope at a constant height. With the tow rope at a constant height, the pressure needed to keep the shaft in a vertical position would decrease and be easier to control. In summary, the djed is a vertical static winch that draws a line towards itself. It is said that a picture can speak a thousand words. In the above illustration, the Djed is in the bottom left and sits in what has been described by historians as altar stones. It can be added that at this point in my research I had no precise idea where the djed was positioned on the pyramid step. I did realize, however, that the crook was a tool that kept the djed in balance. I also wondered whether there were any other symbols that could have been used as tools. In my mind?s eye, I could see the djed positioned at varying heights along the horizontal step. Perhaps the position of the alter stone was the ?base? described by Herodotus. It is submitted that the ancient Egyptians balanced the Djed with a crook on the level above the base. This upper level can be described as rows. The only problem with the theory of a static winch is that the line or load to be lifted would be drawn up a single ramp towards the djed. This necessitates the need for a second djed winch to operate in the opposite direction and thus requires a second ramp. This raises the question ?What did the ancient Egyptians construct the ramps with?? It is submitted that the answer is relatively straightforward and obvious. The Egyptians used stone in all kinds of elaborate ways they cut statues and obelisks directly from the bedrock. So the natural progression for a race of people with this ability would be to use stone for building a ramp. Why import sand and rubble when it was possible to use the natural talents of the mason, thereby saving time and effort. /The stones pictured at the Sun Temple of Niuserre were possibly removable pivot or altar stones. / If there were many machines, they would have required many pivot stones. It is my belief that the stones pictured in the photograph (above) at the Sun Temple of Niuserre were removable pivot or altar stones. The small holes surrounding the ratchet mechanism were probably for lubrication. The Djed column would have rested in this stone. A hole drilled into the stone can clearly be seen on observation of the left hand side of the first stone in the picture. A rope placed through this hole would have given the mechanism the ability to be pulled to any location. Further investigation has confirmed that all of the pivot stones at Abusir, of which nine are visible, all have a similar large hole. The djed winch has been described as the backbone of Osiris. If the djed winch sat in the above pivots, would it not have been prudent for the ancient Egyptians to store them in the ?Place of Osiris?? The base of the Djed would need to have had some type of break. The picture (at right) shows a simple form of break ratchet. This would have allowed the mechanism to revolve freely one way but not the other. This ratchet acted on the round protrusions carved onto the perimeter of the pivot stone. If the rising stone started to slip backwards down the ramp, the djed would have tipped and the breaking mechanism would have automatically stopped the stone. A controlled descent of the stone could have then been achieved by releasing tension on the tow rope.