It is not surprising that the occasional eyebrow is raised when we are confidently informed that the Egyptian pyramids, the last remaining 'Seven Wonders' of the ancient world, were constructed by people from the 'Neolithic' period. Apart from the fact that eight 'Memphite' pyramids were supposedly constructed in under 100 years, we are faced with numerous traces of applied mathematics, science and technology within the structures that have no precedent.

Examples Include:

'Machine-tools' - It has been suggested by C. Dunn (1), that there is evidence of 'Machined' artefacts at Ghiza. He reminds us that Petrie also recognised that the few remaining tools from the period were 'insufficient to explain Egyptian artefacts'.

Dunn reviewed certain igneous artefacts inspected by Petrie and concluded that they 'almost undeniably indicate machine power was used by the pyramid builders'. (1)

Egyptologists maintain that the work (including granite), was completed with copper and stone tools, although this has been contested on the basis that the spiral tool-marks in certain core samples indicate that a metal stronger than copper would have been required.

The photo (right), is a close-up of the tool-marks on a granite sample. Their definition, length and regular separation suggest the use of both a harder-than-granite tip, and a constant pressure.

Core-drilling - There is plenty of evidence that core-drills were used at Ghiza. The classic example being the tool-marks found inside the Great pyramid (in the sarcophagus). As the stone that was being cut is granite, the surface of the drill-tip would have had to have included a material of equal or greater hardness in order to cut through the stone.

In itself, this is an amazing achievement, but when we look closer at the remaining drill marks, it is evident that a great amount of downwards pressure was applied to the drills as well, more than can be explained by conventional theory. The distance between the grooves created by core-drilling can be use as a measure of how much force was applied as drilling was in process. Petrie said of this 'On the granite core, No 7, the spiral of the cut sinks 0.1 inch in the circumference of 6 inches, or 1 in 60, a rate of ploughing out the quartz and feldspar which is astonishing'. The feed-rate of modern drills, Dunn calculates to be 0.0002 inch per revolution, indicating that the Egyptians drilled into granite with a feed-rate that was five hundred ties greater or deeper per revolution of the drill than modern drills. (1) 

Mass-Produced lathe-cut vases - Petrie submitted evidence that showed that the ancient Egyptians used Lathes.

It appears that vase making was a considerable post in ancient Egypt. We can read an inscription concerning 'Imhotep' which tributes him as the 'chief vase maker' amongst his many titles. There have been literally thousands of stone-carved vases found in and around Saqqara, which are all considered to have originated from the first dynastic periods. Many of the vases have been cut from extremely hard stone, again requiring an equal or harder blade to cut them with. The evidence suggests that a specialised drill would have been used to carve the interiors, which are remarkable in that they have been carved equally well as the outsides, including the difficult section inside and under the curve of the 'necks' of the vases.

The accuracy of the carving leads us to accept that they were most probably lathe-turned, and cut with 'jewel-tipped' blades. The difficulties involved with the internal angles can have only been overcome with a specialised instrument although there is little explanation for why such hard stones were chosen in the first place.

Dunn (1), says 'There is also evidence of clearly defined lathe tool marks on sarcophagi lids'. The sheer scale of these lids makes this a bold suggestion, which he confidently supports with the observation that a Sarcophagus lid in the Cairo museum shows evidence of 'tool marks that indicate these conditions exactly where one would expect to find them'. (1)

The seam between the basalt and the limestone pavements.

The use of Concrete - It has been suggested that concrete might have been used in certain ancient structures. As incredible as it may seem, there is evidence to support this idea.

'The Hair in the Rock' - Prof. Dr. Joseph Davidovits of the French Geopolymer Institute discovered a hair sticking out of a boulder of the Cheops (Khufu) pyramid of Giza (30). He concluded that either the hair is older than the rock surrounding it, meaning the rock formed later, or the boulder is synthetic. (Either of which is pretty amazing)

Examination and measurements of the boulders used in building the pyramid show an unusually high moisture content (similar to that found in concrete).

Concrete is also known to have been used in the building of the Ggantija temple on Gozo (Malta).