Based on prevailing construction hypotheses, the massive stones used for the pyramids were primarily carved from quarries using copper chisels.
The Proposed Stone Cutting Method
According to widely accepted theories regarding pyramid construction, the process of obtaining the stone blocks began at the quarries. The method most often cited involves the use of simple hand tools.
Tools of the Trade
The primary tool believed to have been used for cutting and shaping the stone was the copper chisel. Ancient Egyptians had mastered working with copper long before the age of the great pyramids. While copper is relatively soft compared to the limestone and granite used in construction, techniques like work-hardening could increase its effectiveness.
Other tools likely included wooden mallets for striking the chisels, and potentially abrasives like sand and water to aid in the cutting process, especially for harder stones, although the reference specifically highlights the copper chisels.
Quarrying the Blocks
The consensus view, as supported by historical hypotheses, is that skilled laborers meticulously worked the stone directly in the quarries.
Most of the construction hypotheses are based on the belief that huge stones were carved from quarries with copper chisels, and these blocks were then dragged and lifted into position.
This process would have involved:
- Identifying suitable stone layers or blocks in the quarry face.
- Using copper chisels to painstakingly cut channels around the desired block.
- Potentially using wooden wedges, soaked with water, driven into crevices to split the stone along natural fault lines or carved channels. As the wood expands, it would exert pressure to break the stone free.
Once freed from the quarry bed or face, these massive blocks were then ready to be transported to the pyramid construction site. The focus of many debates among researchers lies not on how the stones were cut (with copper chisels being the leading hypothesis) but rather on the techniques used for moving and lifting these incredibly heavy loads.
