The Ancient Egyptians used to extract the granite used in the noble parts of their constructions (pyramids, sanctuaries, altars, statues, etc) from Aswan quarries.
The Unfinished Obelisk, which still remains in situation attached to the rock on one side, is a gigantic single piece of granite that was intended by Hatshepsut to be the biggest obelisk ever erected for her father, god Amun, in her temple, at Deir el-Bahari Temple. We can also see reliefs describing how obelisks were being transported.
There are several theories concerning how obelisks and the huge blocks of granite were split away from its surrounding rock. Some talk about cutting a groove along the line where the stone was to be detached and then driven in wooden wedges which were soaked with water. The force of the swellin...
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