A MYSTERY BLOWN AWAY?Byline: - David Kronke SUGGEST that ancient Egyptians This is a list of ancient Egyptian people who have articles on Wikipedia. A
In a series of tests Clemmons oversaw in Quartz Hill with Mory Gharib and Emilio Castano Graff of CalTech and Daniel Correa of University Del Sol, she and a team of volunteers proved that wind power and specially designed kites could indeed be used to raise an 11-ton obelisk obelisk (ŏb`əlĭsk), slender four-sided tapering monument, usually hewn of a single great piece of stone, terminating in a pointed or pyramidal top. and to transport stones the size of some that compose the pyramids. ``In our first test (in 2001), we lifted an obelisk weighing 3 1/2 tons with contemporary equipment,'' Clemmons explains. ``The next step was to raise bigger monuments, using ancient materials.'' Clemmons, president of the Winnetka-based consulting practice Transformations, concedes there's a kids-don't-try-this-at-home aspect to her work - for example, one volunteer was injured during an experiment, and she once wickedly sliced her hand with a kite line. That second mishap, however, led to a discovery that may help reinforce her theory: She strung the rope through a figure-eight-shaped tool used by rock climbers that is very similar to an ankh ankh Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying life, consisting of a cross surmounted by a loop. In tomb inscriptions, gods and pharaohs are often pictured holding the ankh, which forms part of the hieroglyph for concepts such as health and happiness. , a ubiquitous symbol in Egyptian hieroglyphics. ``Everywhere you look (in hieroglyphics), there is rope twisted around the crossbar of ankhs,'' she says. ``When I explained this to an Egyptologist, he replied that the ankh was actually a symbol of life. I told him I had looked it up and it was literally described as a 'breath of life,' which offers a completely different connotation. You should have seen the look in his eyes.'' Clemmons' Web site, archeologee.com, features other hieroglyphic hieroglyphic (hī'rəglĭf`ĭk, hī'ərə–) [Gr.,=priestly carving], type of writing used in ancient Egypt. Similar pictographic styles of Crete, Asia Minor, and Central America and Mexico are also called hieroglyphics images that seem to support her theory. ``It was so amazing to meet the Egyptologist out at the pyramids,'' Clemmons says. ``I'm like Jane Doe Jane Doe female counterpart of John Doe. [Am. Usage: Misc.] See : Everyman from Reseda - how often does Jane Doe from Reseda get flown to Egypt?'' Certainly, Clemmons' radical theory has been met with intense skepticism from other experts, who have dismissed her and her volunteers as ``pyramidiots.'' Clemmons' response was to sell ``pyramidiot'' T-shirts. Her findings could have important ramifications ramifications npl → Auswirkungen pl for builders in developing countries. ``It shows that aeronautics in heavy construction is now a viable option,'' she says. ``If you're in a country with no megamillion-dollar Caterpillars, you can use kites for heavy construction. It's an environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] and inexpensive tool for heavy construction.'' Clemmons has worked on the project for seven years, spending between $1,500 and $3,000 a month for the past three years - most of it out of her own pocket - but she spreads credit around to all the volunteers, many from the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. , who helped her. ``This is actually a Valley project,'' she says. ``This is a community achievement.'' Staff writer Dana Bartholomew contributed to this report. FLYING PYRAMIDS, SOARING STONES What: Reseda's Maureen Clemmons suggests that wind power played a role in the construction of Egypt's pyramids and obelisks. Where: History Channel. When: 9 tonight. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Maureen Clemmons and her team constructed an obelisk to test her theory that builders in ancient Egypt  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. used wind. John McCoy/Staff Photographer |
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