Forgotten Technology: Give Me a Lever, and I Will Move the World

forgotten technology

In this article, you will discover a fascinating story about Wally Wallington moving rocks – a retired carpenter with more than 35 years of experience in the construction industry. Throughout his extensive career, he frequently encountered situations where improvisation on tools became necessary to complete tasks efficiently.

Mr. Wallington chose a forgotten technology, utilizing rocks and leverage to remove the blocks from beneath the floor, relocating them to an area accessible by machinery for subsequent removal. With repetition, the technique became increasingly effortless and efficient. This unique experience prompted Wally Wallington to contemplate the possibility that similar techniques might have been employed in the past before the advent of modern equipment.

If you’d like a unique paper about Wally Wallington’s insights and hands-on experience underscoring the potential historical relevance of improvised methods, offering a fresh perspective on problem-solving in construction practices, simply say, ‘write my essay for me.’

10 forgotten technologies

Wally Wallington: The Story of One Man Who Could Move 1200 Lb. Concrete Blocks Effortlessly

Many years ago, Wallace ‘Wally’ Wallington faced the challenge of removing 1200 lb. concrete blocks from an existing floor without access to a suitable machine. Given the inability to reach some of the blocks with available equipment, the conventional solution would have involved breaking the blocks into smaller pieces using a sledgehammer and loading them into a wheelbarrow – an option deemed too labor-intensive. But how a man moves 20 ton blocks by hand? Let’s find out!

Wallace Wallington employs what he asserts are ancient techniques to move hefty blocks and construct buildings. The extent to which his methods align with those used by ancient civilizations remains a subject of debate, leaving researchers with the task of unraveling this mystery. Unfortunately, due to gaps in the historical record, complete certainty may elude us. Nevertheless, Wallington's methods provide a valuable starting point for attempting to piece together the puzzle. Working alone, Mr. Wallington could easily move a 2400 lb. block at 300 ft. per hour with little effort and a 10,000 lb. block at 70 ft. per hour. 

While presented in an amateur video format, the information about Wally Wallington moving stones is well-delivered and significant enough to overshadow any lack of polish. Throughout history, numerous individuals have claimed to have unraveled the secrets behind monumental structures like the Pyramids and Stonehenge. Some theories border on the fantastical, suggesting everything from poured-in-place concrete to assistance from "extra-terrestrials." The latter perspective often reflects a lack of faith in human capabilities.

Contrastingly, figures like Edward Leedskalnin insisted that they knew how ancient Egyptians built the pyramids but kept it a closely guarded secret. However, some of the so-called "practical" methods proposed by various theorists appear overly intricate and improbable.

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Stonehenge Construction Method

In bygone eras, megalithic structures dotted the global landscape, spanning from Easter Island to Norway. These constructions, crafted from carefully stacked stones, were veiled in an enigma air. Few individuals pondered questions such as "What is the weight of the stones at Stonehenge?" or "How hefty are the stones used in Stonehenge?" Let's dispel some myths surrounding these facts and demystify Stonehenge:

  • Abundant evidence suggests that the site served as a burial ground prior to the construction of Stonehenge.
  • The structure incorporated two types of stones, with the larger sarsen stones towering up to 30 feet in height and weighing as much as 25 tons.
  • In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth wove a mythical tale of King Arthur, asserting that a magician named Merlin transported the stones from Ireland to Wiltshire.
  • The Easter Island Stonehenge is renowned for its stone statues resembling human heads with truncated torsos, crafted closer to the island's center, reaching a towering height of 66 feet.

What links them to Britain's Stonehenge is the mystery surrounding the forgotten technology used to transport large rocks to the coast. Local legends suggest that the statues walked there, and while recent enthusiasts have discovered several methods for moving stone blocks, the precise techniques employed by ancient tribes remain elusive.

stonehenge construction method

Egyptian Pyramids Construction Method

For millennia, the majestic Egyptian pyramids have endured as the lone survivors among the Seven Wonders. A multitude of researchers, archaeologists, and historians have pondered questions like "What is the weight of the Great Pyramid?" and "How did people construct pyramids using just levers and ladders?" Let's explore the intriguing Egyptian pyramids facts that modern science provides about the Great Pyramids and unravel their mysteries:

  • Constructed from massive limestone blocks quarried nearby, the pyramids are meticulously bonded with mortar.
  • Situated on the western bank of the Nile River, the pyramids align with the setting sun, symbolizing the Egyptian association with the kingdom of the dead.
  • Contrary to extraterrestrial theories, Egyptian pyramid technology likely relied on an intuitive understanding of the golden ratio principle, first formulated in Greece in the VI century B.C.
  • The pyramid stone weight of the largest construction blocks surpassed 20-30 tons each, contributing to a total pyramid stone weight of 2,777,477,319 pounds.
  • Paid workers, rather than slaves, were responsible for placing concrete pyramid blocks, challenging conventional beliefs.
  • Hieroglyphic scriptures within certain pyramids remain untranslated, as the grammar and semantics of the ancient language prove challenging for contemporary interpretation.
  • Despite the gradual deterioration of mortar over centuries, there are still no discernible gaps between the stone blocks, showcasing the remarkable precision of ancient Egyptian construction techniques.
egyptian pyramids construction method

What Do the Great Pyramids and Stonehenge Have in Common with the Wally Wallington Method?

Wally Wallington moving stones technique distinguishes itelf on two crucial fronts. Firstly, they exhibit exceptional effectiveness with practical applications in contemporary settings. Secondly, they draw upon technology that was undeniably known and available to ancient civilizations. Remarkably, Wallington achieves these feats without using rollers or pulleys, relying instead on a combination of knowledge and practice. His methods, exemplified by the "brute force" approach of employing numerous laborers to move a single stone, starkly contrast to the often-questionable portrayals of such methods in movies. These cinematic depictions raise practical concerns, such as the feasibility of sustaining a large workforce and the plausibility within given timeframes.

What sets Wallington apart from many others is using basic tools – a few round rocks and some lumber – coupled with an essential understanding of engineering principles. This Wally Wallington pyramids knowledge, accessible to ancient peoples with engineering expertise, may not have been as readily available to the uneducated or unskilled. Wallington's techniques hinge on fundamental concepts like grasping the center of gravity, understanding lever laws, and employing simple ratios – knowledge that any ancient engineer would likely possess and convey to their foreman. With experience, foremen and workers could autonomously manage much of the straightforward work or replicate the process consistently. Beyond the "ancient" methods, Wallington introduces innovative solutions, such as his "round road," for extracting concrete forms from beneath his blocks.

In a demonstration of his method, he effortlessly maneuvers a 10-ton block, lifting it three feet off the ground and eventually raising it vertically – all without external assistance. His ambitious plan to construct a Wally Wallington Stonehenge model serves as a testament to the applicability of his methods. Wallington's approach proves swift and efficient, suggesting that minimal manpower, under the right circumstances, could facilitate the movement of substantial masses over long distances and their subsequent placement. This challenges traditional timelines and mathematical assumptions associated with constructing structures like the Great Pyramids, making them more plausible.

Given the uniqueness of his forgotten technology methods, Wallington has coined names for his tools, including the Wallington lever, fulcrumits (special embedded fulcrum points), a Herodotus Machine (inspired by the historian's vague description of the Egyptians' method), and the Moia Walk.

In response to Archimedes's most famous quote, "Give me a lever long enough, and a place on which to rest it, and I will move the world." Wallington responds, "Give it two places to rest, and I can also move the world."

How Physics Explains Stonehenge and the Pyramids?

The enduring enigma surrounding Stonehenge and the Pyramids has prompted researchers to turn to physics, unraveling the mysteries behind the construction of these ancient marvels. Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument in Wiltshire, England, is renowned for its massive standing stones arranged in circular patterns. Physics, particularly the principles of balance and leverage, plays a pivotal role in understanding how these colossal stones were transported and erected.

The largest stones at Stonehenge, known as Sarsens, weigh up to 25 tons, while the Bluestones reach weights of 5 tons. Transporting these massive boulders over considerable distances would seem an insurmountable challenge, but recent physics-based reenactments have shed light on the feasibility of ancient methods. 

Conducting an archaeological experiment that blended a public demonstration with displays of strength, several students collaborated to transport a 1-ton stone block on a sycamore-wood sled along a wooden trackway. This experiment unfolded in Gordon Square, adjacent to the University College London (UCL) Institute of Archaeology. The students expressed surprise at the relative ease of the task, requiring only 10 individuals to maneuver the sled and block across the short trackway. Their efforts resulted in a steady pulling pace of approximately 10 feet (3 meters) every 5 seconds, translating to a consistent hauling speed of about 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h). Moreover, with the discovery of pig bones around Stonehenge, archaeologists propose that ancient builders used fat as a lubricant on skids to facilitate the movement of heavy stones. 

Turning attention to the Pyramids, particularly the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, physics principles come into play in explaining the intricate construction and alignment of these colossal structures. The Great Pyramid consists of massive limestone blocks, with some weighing over 80 tons. The precision in the placement of these stones, aligned with the cardinal points of the compass, underscores the ancient Egyptians' profound grasp of physics-related concepts.

Leverage and counterweights are often invoked to explain the lifting of these immense stones, while inclined planes might have facilitated their movement up the pyramid slopes. Recent research utilizing 3D modeling and physics simulations pertains to the efficiency of leveraging and counterweights in lifting massive stones.

The widely accepted theory posits that ancient Egyptians transported massive stone blocks by dragging them on sledges across causeways constructed from either slaked lime or tafla, a local clay. Evidence of causeways made of tafla has been uncovered across the Giza plateau. Furthermore, tangible sledges found at pyramid sites, as well as reliefs and paintings in tombs and quarries depicting the utilization of sledges, corroborate this theory. Archaeologist Mark Lehner and his team successfully employed a sledge while constructing a small, eighteen-foot-tall pyramid.

Conclusion 

Physics is key to deciphering the engineering brilliance of the forgotten technology behind Stonehenge and the Pyramids. Recent experiments, archaeological findings, and advanced simulations contribute to a comprehensive understanding of how ancient civilizations harnessed the principles of physics to achieve these awe-inspiring feats of construction, which are used even in present times by such construction masterminds as Wallace Wallington. 

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