Archaeologists are constantly asked is 'How did ancient people move large stones?'. The thought of people moving 2/20/200 tonne stones thousands of years ago just seems impossible. But what if I told you we have a lot of photos/video of people moving huge stones today? 🧵1/
One thing archaeologists regularly utilised is called Ethnography. This is where we look at how modern cultures do all types of things- including moving big stones. It ends up that even over the last 100 years, we have tonnes of ethnographic evidence including videos. 2/
In Indonesia (Sumba), people still move large stones to create massive tombs for loved ones. In this video, they move a massive stone (20-30tn) using wood sleds. (Warning: they have a feast at end and slaughter a lot of animals- it isn't pretty). 3/
If you want to read more about them Sumba, you can also read this article. It is about c.300 men moving a 35 tonne block 2km. 4/ aljazeera.com/news/2004/4/27…
Also in Indonesia you have the Nias. They moved stones until about 60-70 years ago but the tradition died. But that being said, we have some excellent images of them moving massive stones- up steep hills and through forest. See more images here: 5/ andywhiteanthropology.com/blog/normal-si…
I should say that all of these examples so far have used natural materials. Locally sourced wood and vines. Things like this, or similar, would have been readily available in antiquity. 6/
But these are small stones, 5-35 tonnes. What about 100+ tonnes? Well, in 1929 Mussolini decided he just really likes columns. So he had a 250+ tonne marble column moved from the moutains to the sea (9mi/14lm) then onto boats. Best bit- they filmed it! 7/ britishpathe.com/asset/58012/
What is fascinating is that something that weighed 250-300 tonnes(with the wood casing) is moved quite quickly by the oxen. I know the video is sped up a bit, but wow- it zips! 8/
Granted, the Mussolini column did use more modern materials, but even today, people are testing and proving that moving stones isn't hard if you know science. In this video, a bunch of Danes moved a 9 tonne stone up a hill to make a Dolmen. 9/
But then there is the granddaddy of them all- the KING of moving big stones. No it isn't an ancient pharaoh or some Roman emperor- it is a retired construction work named Wally Wallington, who lives in Michigan.
Wally made a 8.7 tonne 'concrete' stone so he could test how people could move/place stones in antiquity. He moved them only using ancient materials. The best bit- he moves them all BY HIMSELF! He moves MULTI-TONNE STONES BY HIMSELF! Wally is the man! 11/
This is just part of the modern evidence we have in regards to moving big stones. We have a lot of ancient evidence too, which I have posted about before including the Roman's who moved a 330 tonne obelisk 2000km. 12/
I recognise that any fervent believer of ancient 'tech' will come back and ask about Baalbek or similar. Yes, those stones are much bigger and yes, we don't have direct evidence for how they are moved. Although they were quarried above the site so its a less complex move. 13/
An archaeologist will say that you simply have to scale up process to move larger stones. It makes far more sense than a mysterious ancient culture who only taught groups how to move stones/ or Egyptian priests humming stones into the air. 14/
We also need to remember that people in the ancient world had things like pack animals. So just like Mussolini and his stone, animals could have also played a large part (after domestication). 15/
We don't know everything and we are unlikely to find direct evidence for some of the ancient puzzles. It sucks, but that's archaeology. But humans are smart, even in antiquity- like Eratosthenes working out the earths circumference to within 1% just using sticks. 16/
This thread is aiming to show modern examples (recorded on film) of people moving big stones. I hope this may answer some questions and I am more than happy to take questions. But might be better to ask a real expert- Wally Wallington! 17/17
Now- I want to finish by apologising for the appalling grammar and spelling mistakes. I am transferring 500gb of files between drives and my computer is stuttering like crazy. It just stopped letting me type for 3 minutes. God, I wish we could edit tweets without paying Musk
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What is the hardest site I have ever excavated? Well, that one is easy! Let me introduce you to the site of Zagora, on the island of Andros, Greece. A site I love with all my heart, but at the same time, has arguably the toughest working conditions I have ever faced!A thread 🧵1/
Zagora is located on the western coast of the island of Andros. It is a really fascinating site! After the collapse of the Bronze Age cultures, like the Minoans and Mycenaeans, Greece goes through this relatively quiet period for a few hundred years. Then, they bounce back. 2/
Zagora is a settlement located on an isolated promontory. It is important because it was founded during this quiet period and existed until about 700 BCE, when all of a sudden, the town is just abandoned in a hurry. We don’t know why. Here is a little vid I made years ago. 3/
The Antikythera mechanism is often held up as evidence that some unknown, advanced culture was influencing the ancient world. ‘The technology is too advanced!''There are no other examples!''It SHOULDN’T EXIST!'
How unique was it? Were there other advanced ancient machines? 🧵 1/
Found by divers off the coast of Antikythera, Greece in 1901, the device is effectively an ancient, analogue computer. It was made of a series of fine tooth gears, likely working together to show celestial movements i.e moon/planets. Unfortunately, a lot of it is missing. 2/
It is a complex device! Its ‘mystery’ comes from the fact that we haven’t found physical remains of similar geared objects. It is this point that makes it a lightning rod for conspiracy theorists. But as you will see, it may not have been as unique as people think... 3/
Much of our knowledge of ancient individuals is limited to the elite, people like rulers/generals. Yet occasionally we come across archaeology that reveals a tiny glimpse of the life of a regular person. Meet Onfim! He lived 800 years ago and boy, did he find homework boring.🧵1/
In the town of Novgorod, they sometimes come across preserved birch bark. People used this bark to write on, including Onfim! Archaeologists have found 17 pieces of bark marked with his homework. But what do these inscriptions reveal? A young boy who disliked school! 2/
The theory is that Onfim was about 6-7. We know his name because he tells us! This drawing (Right) shows Onfim as a monster. Onfim wrote ‘I am a wild beast!’. Next to it, he wrote a note to his friend Danilo,‘Greetings from Onfim to Danilo’. Were they passing notes in school? 3/
For the last 6 years, I have excavated dozens and dozens of tombs in NW Saudi Arabia hoping that I’d be able to determine how these spectacular structures developed over time! Happy to say that the first paper about these results will be published very soon. 1/
The vast majority of Bronze Age tombs in the region were disturbed in antiquity or were reused for later Iron Age burials. Furthermore, the harsh environment of NW Arabia meant that preservation of human remains was particularly poor. So it took a long time! 2/
We have slowly amassed radiocarbon dates which we believe are from the original burials, allowing us to theorise as to how the tombs developed. It’s the first of a number of papers we are writing on the funerary landscapes of NW Saudi Arabia. 3/
Seeing as everyone is loving Greek archaeology, how about we delve into one of my favourite topics- SCULPTURE! Greek sculpture had a massive impact on the evolution of art, but not many people know how it developed or who the main artists were. So, let’s dive into it! 🧵1/
Today we will look at the development of male sculptures. After the collapse of the Bronze Age cultures, and Greece's resurgence, stone sculptures start appearing in the mid-late 7th century. Here is a favourite of mine- the New York Kouros from c.600-580 BCE. 2/
Straight off, you might notice that this looks VERY Egyptian. A lot of archaeologists think that they were definitely a big influence. But relatively quickly the Greeks forge their own path. These early male sculptures are called Kouros(s)/Kouroi(pl) and represent young males. 3/
Well seeing as so many people are interested in my PhD thesis, let’s do a thread! Gestures on Ancient Greek Funerary Iconography- what are they? How did artists use them? Why are they important? Why was I awarded a PhD for this? Let’s find out! 🧵1/
A huge amount of how we communicate is through gesture. In fact, it’s the first form of communication we learn as children, before we can talk. Think of babies reaching for a parent or wanting food. Even as adults, when we communicate, we utilise gesture subconsciously. 2/
Gesture can have different meanings depending on where you are from. Take the devil horns, performed here by Ronnie Dio! Today we think “devil horns”, but Dio actually learnt it from his Italian nonna who used it to ward off the evil eye. But that’s just one interpretation 3/