Expert: Ralph Salier - 5/4/2006

Question
I don't know if this is the right place to ask. I apologise if I am in
the wrong area.
How the Pyramids of Egypt made? With almost no tools, how did
they manage to make the Pyramids air-tight, full of chambers and
passages and above all, how do they make the structure so large?
Same goes for the Sphynix.  

Answer
Hi Joseph,

You asked in the right place.  The Pyramids were made with a lot of man power and very clever engineering as well as basic tools made of bronze.  They also had the lever and pulleys.   The foundation of the structures were made by digging a large pit.  Into the pit the placed pillars.  They then filled the pit with water from the Nile.  Workers then marked each of the pillars.  Since water finds its own level, the markings on the pillars gave them a flat horizon to work from.  Then laying millions of cut stone on top of each other and maintaining a sight along the corners to prevent a twist, they built upwards.  The chambers were placed into the structure as it was built.  I am sure that they worked from a model and this gave them an idea where not to place stones.  By the way it is not air tight, but close.  The structure is very large because of how it was designed.  

As for the Sphynix, this is carved out of a the limestone bed rock.  The Egyptians are famous for monumental scupture and they had many artisans who could work on such structures.