Mysteries Of Ancient Egypt: The Unfinished Obelisk Of Aswan - Egypt
The Unfinished Obelisk is a mass of granite 40 meters long (138 feet) and more than 1,090 tons (1,200 short tons) that is one of the most important mysteries of the archaeological world. It was abandoned thousands of years ago in the quarries of northern Aswan, ancient Egypt.
History of the Egyptian Obelisk | The Unfinished Obelisk Facts | Egyptian Obelisk History | Egypt Tours Portal break time="1s"/> Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, ordered the obelisk to be made. It is not known where the obelisk came from, but it is thought that it was built to complement what would become known as the Lateran Obelisk, which was built in Karnak and later moved to the Lateran Palace in Rome.
The fact that the unfinished obelisk is a third larger than any other ancient Egyptian obelisk ever built is a major source of consternation for scholars.
It is assessed that it could quantify in excess of 40 meters (138 feet) and weigh around 1,090 tons (1,200 short tons), whenever finished - to more readily comprehend, envision the heaviness of 200 African elephants.
It is believed that the builders of the obelisk began to remove it directly from a rock when they noticed cracks in the granite underneath.
They would have given up on the project primarily because of this, but the obelisk's lower side is still anchored to the rock today.
Even though this project hasn't been finished yet, this obelisk is important for understanding the ancient Egyptian stonework techniques from an archaeological and historical perspective.
During the investigations, the researchers discovered marks on the workers' tools that have remained intact for hundreds of years. break time="1s"/> Additionally, they discovered orange-colored lines that indicated the workers' location.
In the Aswan quarries, a further surprising discovery was made in 2005. The researchers discovered an unfinished and partially functional obelisk base at the time.
Additionally, they discovered stone sculptures that may have originated from the same location as other obelisks.
All of these finds are currently on display in an Egyptian government-run open-air museum that is considered an archaeological and heritage site.
A sea of unanswered questions The ancient Egyptian obelisks are a great topic of debate because they raise numerous unanswered questions.
How were they carved into one block by hand? How did they get there from hundreds of miles away? How did they get the massive, hefty columns lifted?
Although it is difficult to explain how the granite masses moved to the boats or how the boats supported such a weight, numerous theories suggest that the obelisks were transported by boats on the Nile River.
The monuments were frequently carved directly into the bedrock, and masons smoothed out any flaws with stone balls until the surface was smooth.
Aswan still has samples of these Dolerite balls, which despite being harder than granite and repeatedly striking the granite surface, did not break or crack.
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