PROBLEM
You are a member of an archeological team that is attempting to demonstrate how the ancient Egyptians were able to erect 100-foot-tall obelisks using only the tools available at the time. The leader of your team has an idea to demonstrate how this was done, and you and your teammates must build a model to prove that the theory works. The following terms will be helpful to you as you research and build your model.
• Obelisk—a tall, tapered, four-sided monument with a pyramid at the top.
• Rigging—ropes to pull the obelisk up the incline and brake its descent onto the pedestal.
• Sandpit—an enclosure that contains sand, a pedestal, and inclined plane.
• Release holes—holes on opposite sides of the sandpit for releasing sand.
• Pedestal—a base with a turning groove for raising and supporting the obelisk.
• Turning groove—a V shape carved on the top of the pedestal to help position the obelisk.
• Inclined plane—a slanted surface for moving the obelisk upward or downward.
• Mechanical advantage—a machine that makes it possible to use less effort.
• Pivot point—upper edge of the sandpit wall for rotating the obelisk downward.
• Gravity—a force that pulls the obelisk downward.
(Excerpt from Beck, Charles R. (September 2009) Constructing an Engineering Model for Raising an Egyptian Obelisk, The Technology Teacher, 69(1), pp. 14-18.)
• Obelisk—a tall, tapered, four-sided monument with a pyramid at the top.
• Rigging—ropes to pull the obelisk up the incline and brake its descent onto the pedestal.
• Sandpit—an enclosure that contains sand, a pedestal, and inclined plane.
• Release holes—holes on opposite sides of the sandpit for releasing sand.
• Pedestal—a base with a turning groove for raising and supporting the obelisk.
• Turning groove—a V shape carved on the top of the pedestal to help position the obelisk.
• Inclined plane—a slanted surface for moving the obelisk upward or downward.
• Mechanical advantage—a machine that makes it possible to use less effort.
• Pivot point—upper edge of the sandpit wall for rotating the obelisk downward.
• Gravity—a force that pulls the obelisk downward.
(Excerpt from Beck, Charles R. (September 2009) Constructing an Engineering Model for Raising an Egyptian Obelisk, The Technology Teacher, 69(1), pp. 14-18.)
Background
Background:
Ancient peoples were able to use simple technologies and scientific principles to complete seemingly impossible tasks. In order to better understand the living and working conditions of selected time periods, archeologists attempt to recreate these tasks using only the technology that was known to exist at the time. People today find it difficult to complete many of these tasks using modern equipment, and yet ancient peoples were able to succeed.
One of the greatest mysteries of ancient times is how the Egyptians managed to raise huge obelisks using very simple technology. Obelisks were tall monuments dedicated to the pharaoh and the sun god. Each obelisk was quarried from a single piece of granite weighing up to 500 tons and reaching as high as 100 feet. Even an entire army of Egyptians lacked the physical strength to lift or pull these enormous stones upright. There are no written records to reveal how the Egyptians raised their obelisks. This remarkable task puzzled engineers for thousands of years. After failing to raise an obelisk with simple machines, such as levers and pulleys, a team of modern engineers solved the mystery using a sandpit and the force of gravity.
The technological task of raising an obelisk contributed to the religious and political stature of the Egyptian empire. Obelisks stood at temple entrances and were inscribed with pictographs (hieroglyphs). Each obelisk contained many pictographs dedicated to the pharaoh, including vertical rectangles with curved corners called “cartouches.” Each cartouche was dedicated to a royal family. For example, in the photograph, the upper cartouche is a phonetic spelling for the Pharaoh Ptolemy, and the lower cartouche spells his wife’s name, Cleopatra. Egyptian hieroglyphs remained a secret language for centuries until the French linguist, Champollion, deciphered Ptolemy’s name inside a cartouche.
Ancient peoples were able to use simple technologies and scientific principles to complete seemingly impossible tasks. In order to better understand the living and working conditions of selected time periods, archeologists attempt to recreate these tasks using only the technology that was known to exist at the time. People today find it difficult to complete many of these tasks using modern equipment, and yet ancient peoples were able to succeed.
One of the greatest mysteries of ancient times is how the Egyptians managed to raise huge obelisks using very simple technology. Obelisks were tall monuments dedicated to the pharaoh and the sun god. Each obelisk was quarried from a single piece of granite weighing up to 500 tons and reaching as high as 100 feet. Even an entire army of Egyptians lacked the physical strength to lift or pull these enormous stones upright. There are no written records to reveal how the Egyptians raised their obelisks. This remarkable task puzzled engineers for thousands of years. After failing to raise an obelisk with simple machines, such as levers and pulleys, a team of modern engineers solved the mystery using a sandpit and the force of gravity.
The technological task of raising an obelisk contributed to the religious and political stature of the Egyptian empire. Obelisks stood at temple entrances and were inscribed with pictographs (hieroglyphs). Each obelisk contained many pictographs dedicated to the pharaoh, including vertical rectangles with curved corners called “cartouches.” Each cartouche was dedicated to a royal family. For example, in the photograph, the upper cartouche is a phonetic spelling for the Pharaoh Ptolemy, and the lower cartouche spells his wife’s name, Cleopatra. Egyptian hieroglyphs remained a secret language for centuries until the French linguist, Champollion, deciphered Ptolemy’s name inside a cartouche.
Specifications and Constraints
- The test model must be built to a scale of 1:50.
- All dimensions must be based on recalculations of the original dimensions from the drawings. (These drawings are at a scale of 1:89.)
Deliverables
- Each student must complete an Engineering Design Folio documenting the process.
- Each design team must submit a completed component ready for testing.
- Each engineering group will submit an assembled model with a summary of the design process in a PowerPoint presentation.
Evidence
THE OBELISK
Base upon research, students were asked to build an obelisk. During class each student was ask to get with their team and as teams to present their obelisk to the rest of the class as well as to explain what an obelisk is and how they come up with this material to build their obelisk. I then address any concerns during and after class to establish what an obelisk is and to talk about results from each team.