ABSTRACT
The Egyptians used clay extensively not only in the industrial arts, such as pottery, but also for building. It was used principally as daub or as bricks. Granaries, which were cylindrical buildings capped by a little dome, figure among the hieroglyphs. Egypt grows but few kinds of wood which are usable for building. In stone buildings the walls are usually made with clean-cut joints without ties of any sort. Sometimes, however, metal clamps were used or dovetails of sycomore-wood. When one considers the great size of the materials used by the ancient Egyptians in their monuments—stones of huge size, statues and sarcophagi of almost fabulous weight—one cannot help asking how they managed to place in position such huge masses. In A. Choisy’s work on the art of building of the Egyptians will be found mention of an apparatus known as the oscillating elevator, which must have assisted the Egyptians in the erection of their monuments.
