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Secrets of Lost Empires I—Obelisk
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Program Overview
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Ancient structures may generate awe and provide information about the people
who built them, but they leave many questions unanswered: How were they
constructed? What technologies were available to the builders? What tools did
they use?
In this four-part mini series, NOVA brings together experts from diverse fields
to reconstruct how these monuments might have been built. For each structure,
individual teams are challenged to create a scale model using the materials and
scientific knowledge thought to be available at the time of original
construction (although at times they resort to modern methods). By applying
their knowledge of each culture, their expertise in building techniques, and a
process of trial and error, the teams attempt to reconstruct these ancient
technological wonders.
Obelisk
 Pharaohs who built magnificent temples to preserve their names for eternity
often graced temple gates with pairs of obelisks, four-sided shafts of granite
that taper gently upward until the sides meet at the top to form a pyramid
shape. NOVA's team of experts attempts to build, transport, and raise a scale
model obelisk using those materials available to ancient Egyptian engineers:
rope, dirt, sticks, and stones.
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