Dr Hugh Thomas Profile picture
Jan 8 18 tweets 7 min read Read on X
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/ Image
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/ Image
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/ Image
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…Image
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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/ Image
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/Image
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/ Image
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.

10/youtube.com/@wallingtonw
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/ Image
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/ Image
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 Image
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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More from @hughs_news

Feb 16
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/ Image
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/ Image
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/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Feb 4
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/ Image
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/ Image
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/ Image
Read 4 tweets
Jan 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/ Image
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/ Image
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/ Image
Read 27 tweets
Jan 1
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/ Image
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/
Read 22 tweets
Aug 13, 2024
Ummmm...lots of ancient cultures could move huge stones without heavy machinery❓ Let’s address this question of stone moving the only way I know how- WITH ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE! And for fun, lets do it with one single object you can visit today. 1/
This is the Vatican. Notice that obelisk in the centre. It is from Egypt. It weighs 330 tonnes. It was raisedon September 10th 1586. Using modern 16th century technology, they moved and lifted the stone. You can see drawings of the event. But that’s not a mystery. 2/
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So how did this obelisk get to Rome? It’s from a site called Heliopolis in Egypt. That’s a long way away. But Roman Emperor Caligula liked it, and so it got moved. A 330 tonne obelisk moved 2000km!! Across the sea!! How? 3/ Image
Read 11 tweets
Aug 10, 2024
SMDH‼️ Ok, let’s educate. (Hi, I’m Hugh. Actual archaeologist. 20+ years fieldwork experience). This tweet shows old mate has never visited an archaeological excavation or even understands the basics. Everything is wrong. So let’s address. 1/
-Their clothes are clean‼️Yes, sometimes archaeology is very dirty. First picture, my face after excavating a hearth a fireplace). Fine, black, silt. Stuck to everything. 2/
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Here is me on another site at the end of the day- I’m clean‼️ Why⁉️ Different type of site, different type of sediment, and I was going in between supervision and excavating. Guess what, washing machines also exist. 3/ Image
Read 12 tweets

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