New Name

We've consolidated everything we do under one umbrella called SimpleTwig. Here's the breakdown:

SimpleTwig Architecture, was NJBArchitects
SimpleTwig Rendering, was The Drawing Studio

We also have a new forum where we can discuss Set In Stone egyptian topics.

SimpleTwig also offers simple hosting for start up businesses and small artist efforts. The 'twig' is in effect a branching of things of interest to me, with a side of a helping hand to others.

Our new motto: "Every nest starts with a simple twig."

Join us on our new forum: http://www.simpletwig.com

Egypt Blog Moving...

UPDATE:
We have consolidated everything that Mr. Buccalo does on one site called SimpleTwig so that we can better manage everything that goes on. Only periodically will we post here, but instead will create a new blog centered around the SimpleTwig name.

Cheers and thanks for visiting.
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I will be moving my Egypt discussion to a new site: SETinSTONE.ning.com

The new site has so many features that make having discussions much easier. One is able to upload photos, videos and other documents, start forum a blog or simply leave comments that others can easily see and add to.

I will also easily be able to set up different discussions based on what topic it is focused on.  Come over and sign up, it's easy and free.  You'll be given a page for yourself, but more importantly, you'll be able to join in the discussion.  Thanks to everyone who has left a comment here, I will probably move your wonderful comments over as well. 

Also, this is evolving into a collaboration, that is, there are a couple of college professors making contributions on a site we set up at WikiVersity... check it out: Ancient Egyptian Monuments Project

The older posts on general architectural topics will remain here.

What's your opinion?

What do I think so far about this process... I think there are so many theories out there that it will be hard for people to even bother reading about another theory.  I think I'm going to special lengths to show things in a visual way, through videos and animations, because we don't really think visually in our modern world, yet the Egyptians did... for example our written language is based on phonics, that is when you read a word someone in California has created, there will be a good chance a person in New York will be able to pronounce it correctly.  The Egyptian's used hieroglyphs... that is, they used PICTURES for words.  Pictures of real world things.  These pictures could describe something, like a circle for the Sun, and at the same time carry meaning.  I think it is therefore extremely important to look at exactly how the early hieroglyphs were exactly, and I mean exactly carved.  Because, clues to the meaning function of their 'picture words' are revealed with the details.  The carving of the Ankh is an example, look at the 'reflection' as I like to call it.  It looks like an obelisk profile.  Considering that hieroglyphs weren't read for 1500 years, even by the Egyptians, and that our interpretation of them is based on our 'modern' ability to 'read' them, it stands that while the fundamentals of hieroglyphs are understood today for the most part, their subtleties of meaning may not be fully realized.  What is ultimately and especially important is the ability to link different hieroglyphs to fully understand what is being said.  More over, Ancient Egyptian Architecture was an extension of this visual language.

I have found this process and exploration to be totally fascinating.  I feel like I am watching the tumblers of a locking mechanism fall into place and that I am on the verge of opening a wonderful door to truth and understanding of an important aspect of Ancient Egyptian life, that is why the Pyramids were created.  After all, isn't that the most important question to answer about Ancient Egypt?  

I have no doubt that pyramids would of been built without Imhotep, and why not, they were built in one form or another elsewhere around the world.  But why did Egypt make them so smooth and unemblished?   Why did they make them so large?  Why was their form so perfect and rigid?  Why did even tiny Pyramids keep this precision of form and detail?

And, I can even answer how the Pyramids were built... a question that seems to captivate the entire world.  Here's the answer... ready??? : they stacked stones up one on top of the other.

hello? this is Lawrence calling.... anyone? anyone at all...

What will be my greatest disappointment?  This entry alludes to it quite clearly.  I know I can be impatient but I don't think I'll live forever, and considering one response to this revelation, which was in the form of writing lessons, all I can say is sorry but I communicate visually.  That is my language.

Egyptian Horizon (Part 17)

Akhet Hieroglyph: The hieroglyph sign akhet is composed of the Sun disk and the hieroglyph for mountain (Source: Maria C. Betro, Hieroglyphics the Writings of Ancient Egypt, p. 161, Abbeville Press Publishers, 1996.).

Topic has been moved to new Set In Stone website: http://setinstone.ning.com

Imhotep (Part 16)

Update: January 10, 2009:

(click on image for full size and zoom). This image is from the Djoser complex. Source of base image: OdysseyAdventures.  It shows, much like my top signature, 2 distinct 'reflections' (B) at the bottom, one, to me, representing the Sun from the East and the other for the West.  I find it very interesting that my diagram expressed 2 halves before I saw this image. 

'A' the horizon with balanced reflections on top and bottom as I would expect.  Older versions of this symbol I believe wouldn't of been so 'full', that is, they'd be more like line drawings with emphasis being placed only on the ends.  The Sun arc (A) is more like a line version than later jewelry versions that I've seen.  Note 'D' which appears to be like a horizontal knot... I do not know what this represents and may put into question everything except that all the other elements seem to support my hypothesis quite readily.  Update Jan. 11, 2009: This could be a representation of the hieroglyph N17 for Land, Earth, Eternity... it is a horizontal rectangle shape drawn at AncientEgyptOnline.co.uk with rounded corners.  That would make sense.

Update, Jan 11, 2009: For those who are skeptical of this interpretation of the Ankh, lets look at it from a different point of view, from that of the ancient scribe who created it.  Lets say he was given the task of creating a hieroglyph that embodied that which provided life to his desert land, namely the river and the Sun, and to combine those two elements into one simple to understand symbol.   Additionally, the Sun cycle is deemed important as nothing grows at night, 'lives' at night (meaning to be productive, i.e. everyone sleeps including the land), etc. since this will be a 'life' symbol.  Okay, go to it... what would you draw?

Okay, lets add one more element, that the sunrise and sunset are important and you'd like to emphasis these moments in time a bit.  Now go, and let me see what you come up with...

Pyramid Geometry (Part 15)

This post, regarding the Djoser Pyramid Geometry, has been moved to the website Set In Stone.  You can find it in the Group: Pyramid Geometry.

Reconstruction Progress (Part 14)

ANIMATION:

Diagram of Clerestory Design over 4 Set Colonnade.  The spacing between the wall and the column sets is equal implying that the beams spanned over all column sets and into the wall, leaving 2 slivers of space open to the sky (as shown in the first slide).  This sliver would be covered by 'beams' orientated in the opposite direction, providing an opportunity for a clerestory.  In this case, because the main colonnade is at a higher elevation, the only place for 'windows' is on the interior as shown in the last slide.

Someone (Lehner?) had put 'wood beams-carved from stone' as the structure for the roof, assuming that the Egyptians would not want to risk spanning the space between piers (not knowing whether they intended actual wood) or that it was an aesthetic choice to mimic earlier structures (hence, carved stone made to look like wood beams).  But I believe it would of been obvious that stone would do the trick, especially considering that they would of had stone mounted on the ground spanning between two blocks, to carve it, it would of been readily apparent that stone could easily span this distance.  With this in mind, I will be redoing the roof structure of this model, removing the 'wood beams' and changing the overall dimensions.  It seems obvious to me that the 'space' between columns was strictly adhered to further reinforcing the notion that stone was used.

Click on images for enlargement.  These are 'In Progress' images and do not reflect the final model/renderings.

Stairs to Perimeter Wall: Note in the lower right corner of the above rendering, stairs that reach up to the 10.5 Meter high perimeter wall, and how each individual bastion is just large enough for one person.  I can imagine a thousands soldiers marching in through the entrance in a long procession, turning left and ascending up to the top, and then marching around until all the positions were filled.  Only then would the public be allowed in... The massive wall along with Egypt's greatest soldiers must of been an overwhelming sight of pure power and strength. 

Note: I need to revise the location of this stair.  Initially I kept it pulled back away from the center isle, afraid of the weight (at least thinking that the Egyptian builders might think that roof of the aisle below wouldn't be able to support the extra weight, but considering that the wall itself is over the aisle, and that moving the stair would center over this 'extra width' bastion, it seems reasonable to move it so that the top landing is centered over the aisle below, allowing the 'soldier procession' to make it's presence to the public on the outside, in a formal and symmetrical way.

I wonder if the inner Great Court wall was also lined with soldiers.  Given the location of the Hed Sed Court, this might not of been possible, but depends on the design of the wall itself.

I am also curious if any 'sail-like' structures or banners were part of these exterior wall bastions.  I would look for remnants of a pocket which could support a mast of sorts.

Note how I've rendered the Pyramid with wind and dust blowing past it's surface.  Pyramids are known to cause wind turbulence.  From the many tourists videos I've reviewed, I've noticed on several occasions that the person speaking can not be heard over the wind.

The Wave:

Noting how utterly smooth this surface is, and how most civilizations have a tendency to decorate surfaces, even the Egyptians with their bas-reliefs, it reinforces the notion that this surface was serving a purpose... that it is smooth like the water of the Nile, and that by polishing it, becomes reflective like the Nile.

Colonnade:

Even though I'm showing shafts of light, I don't think that this is possible.  I will do a sun study soon to see if only indirect light could be seen from the interior.

Colonnade Clerestory Windows:

Note that I am showing 2 levels of windows.  Understanding that the beams of the center isle would be perpendicular to those of the niches, it seems that this would be a distinct possibility.

Colonnade:

Dark and narrow passage which culminates in a very wide open, filled with sun light Great Court.

Great Court:

Overview with token palace on left showing some of the crowds that must of gathered.  In reality during the 'burial' there were probably hundreds of thousands filling up this court, from morning to night.

Speculation about 'Boundry Caims' (Part 13-spec)

This topic on Ancient Egypt has been moved to Set In Stone website.

Reconstruction Progress (Part 12)

HedSed Court, part of 'Wave' Pyramid, complete with Ancient Egyptians.  In progress.

I still can't find any CAD drawings of this site.  I'm leaving the colonnade for last, but have started parts of it.  The sketches I have found are truly inaccurate.  Using photographs, I think I'll be able to get pretty close to what was built.

Regarding the areas that have an abundance of fill, I think this was used to build the ramps, to bring material up to the Pyramid, although the actual blocks used don't seem that large.  Being that this was the first Pyramid, I think there are many clues about how Pyramids were constructed here.  I hope to take the volume of fill and show how it was put to use as a ramp.  Also, I think the Pyramids were built in a spiral from the center out, rather than having finished exterior and then 'suspending' ramps there, I think it was built by keeping the center the highest point and spiraling out from there allowing the exterior finishes to happen as they were approached by the ramp. 

I think the beginning of the ramp might of been near the existing entrance to the colonnade and worked it's way around the Great Court.  The culvert being a source for limestone as it too 'spirals'.

Progress: Putting in of textures including land, Pyramid, roofs.  Adding of HedSed Court.  To do: finish HedSed Court and Colonnade, refine texture on Pyramid.

Reconstruction by Nicholas Buccalo, copyright 2008.

I will post updates to my reconstruction of the Djozer Pyramid ('Step' Pyramid aka Wave Pyramid-:-)

Here I have completed the exterior perimeter wall at the correct scale. 

The following are rough 'off-site' dimension calculations.  The perimeter wall occupies an area of about 15 ha, is 1,645 Meters long (includes all 4 sides), is ± 10.5 M high; The 'bastions' project out from the main wall and are seperated by ± 4M from the next 'bastions'.  They are ± 7.48 Meters center to center and 'project' about 2.8M.  The 14 'fake' entrances align with the outside surface of the smaller 'bastions' but are the same width as the South West Entrance.

The SW Entrance is ± 10.38 Meters wide and projects from the main lateral wall by 5.040 Meters meaning it projects an additional ± 2.24 Meters beyond the face of the 'bastions'.

The tops of the 'bastions' are cut in such a way that one would expect it to be a 'guard' post or at least a ceremonial post of sorts, perhaps with a projecting banner.  Since the tops of the original perimeter wall is no longer with us that will remain speculation, unless some other wall can be found with 'mounting blocks' remaining.

Bastions: The Architect and Builders went to a lot of trouble to build these bastions.  Why?  They didn't need them as the interior Great Court has none, therefore it wasn't a structural consideration.  To me, they are sized just large enough for a ceremonial guard and perhaps a vertical banner.  I will be curious if a banner is added at each station, if the view of the Pyramid is blocked, which might support the notion that the surrounding culvert was also used as part of the procession before entry into the Great Court.

Supportive Documentation (Part 11)

Post moved to Set In Stone website.

Vessel to ferry the Pharaoh to the Afterlife (Part 10-supportative)

Boats and boat pits...

This topic has been moved to the website: Set In Stone

"I have seen something truly great!" (Part 9)

This topic has been moved to the website: Set In Stone

The Stars (Part 8)

Moved to Set In Stone website...

'Step' Pyramid Description of Design (Part 7)

Video: 'Step' Pyramid: description of it's form and meaning. Note the shape of the hieroglyph for water... looks like water.  I would like to have this Pyramid renamed the Wave Pyramid.  As anyone knows, 'steps' do not have sloped tops or sides... one can imagine steps into the heavens, yes, but to be honest with the intentions of the Pyramids design, Wave is appropriate.

 Hieroglyph for Water... the 'wave'.

Also, if the Pyramid is a pathway of water, then the Pharaoh's spirit must travel on a vessel of sorts.

Mistake: I wrote "perhaps a place for a crown"; this should of been on it's own slide and pointing at the flat top surface only.  It is a little confusing as stated in the video.  It is obvious that the flat was intentional for a crowning piece that certainly was melted down and used elsewhere.  Because of it's weight, there would be no need to anchor it to the stone portion of the Pyramid.  It might also be noted that the crown might of had a sub-structure of wood and clad with a metal material as wood was used in earlier temples.  In fact, this Pyramid was considered first in many things including the use of stone, and many of the stone details mimic the designs of their wood counter part.

Music: N. Buccalo :-)

Proper view of a Pyramid (Part 6)

Outside the Sacred Precinct:

Upon approach, one is standing outside the sacred precinct... the view of the Pyramid does not count as you can see two sides of the Pyramid.  Even up to the moment one enters the Entrance Colonnade, one can see two sides of the Pyramid.  There may of been a procession around the entire precinct via a culvert, which would allow visitors to see all sides of the Pyramid before entering.

Entrance Colonnade:  One enters through a covered passageway (see Entrance Colonnade lower right), so you can not see the Pyramid until you are in the correct location.  The Colonnade has engaged columns, that is, columns that are physically tied to a wall that is itself attached to the main hall wall.  I believe the resulting niches could be used for guard stations.  Others speculate that statues of the Pharaoh could be placed here.  There would of been hundreds of thousands of people proceeding into this temple.  The hypostyle hall would be a deliberate constriction, physically and drastically darker than the exterior, so that mentally the public would have a feeling of being overwhelmed at the sight of the Pyramid.  There would of been inscense burning, perhaps candles of sorts, traffic flowing in both directions in single file, etc.  This colonnade was to prepare people, to get them in the right frame of mind, to quiet them down and get them focused as they were about to enter the sacred precinct to see the destination of their own God.  The 'culvert' that surrounds this entire complex was also used for the same purpose, to funnel and allow to exit the tens and hundreds of thousand of visitors to the site.  Offerings could of been placed along this culvert for the public or by priests in the sacred courtyard. 

You exit the Entrance Colonnade and turn to the right, to see the Pyramid from the correct side, and at generally the correct distance.  Obviously the 'exit' of this colonnade is aligned with the edge of the Pyramid meaning it would be more difficult to see the side of the Pyramid.  In the Great Court, one can leave offerings, because one would be looking up to the passageway of the eternal kingdom and thus, looking at the residing place of one of Egypt's Pharaohs. In fact, it is like looking through a window through time and space, to the Pharaoh himself.

Two things stand out about the colonnade, one that its length isn't orthogonal to the precinct which could of been done to either direct people towards the back of the Great Court, or to prevent a direct view from the 'exterior' in towards the Great Court itself.  The second smaller feature is the exit of the colonnade where a angled projection exists (see later blog post regarding this).  Yet another feature is the vestibule which appears to be splayed in plan and has a niche on either side, possibly for a lowered gate to secure the precinct and entire complex, considering there is only one entrance to this entire complex it wouldn't surprise me that this might be the case in so much as it is obvious the Architect wanted to control who comes in and out.  Why else build a 10.5 Meter high surrounding wall?  Just to hold the fill from ramps?  A wall which has projecting 'guard stations' just large enough for a single individual.

Token Palace (3): The living Pharaoh was given a special place (3) at the rear of the precinct to, in my mind, view his Pyramid, review progress and models. This viewing platform would of been refined after death as a small palace shrine in his honor, or generally left as is, removing of temporary structures to shade the Sun.  

Great Court: The precinct walls themselves, those flanking the Great Court, reinforce the perspective, representing 'that of the earth', which transition to the Pyramid itself which is 'that of the sky' (limestone) and 'that of the heavens' (gold).  They overlap the base of the Pyramid, so that you can't see too much of the side unless you really try by standing to the extreme right or left.  As you enter the Great Court, it is my contention that the perspective of the side wall closely aligns with the hypothesis corner of the Pyramid.  This would 'lead' the eye up to the very tip of the Pyramid and must of been a wonderful thing to experience.  It would be dependent on the height of this wall as it would have to be below eye level in order for it to converge upward towards the horizon.

Under Construction: Future video sequence of Step Pyramid of Djoser showing the procession of the public to the Pyramid.  Desperately looking for CAD drawings and elevation data.  If you know of a source, please contact me.  As principal of The Drawing Studio as well as my own  architectural office, I certainly have the capabilities of doing a reconstruction, as I've done in the past.  It has been said elsewhere that the 'steps' get smaller as they approach the peak.  Hopefully the Japanese survey team who has recently scanned this Pyramid as of August 2008 will have data that supports this notion and will be able to provide accurate documentation of the entire complex.

Future Procession Relationships and Distances: This sequence, as described above, and distance to the base of the Pyramids changes depending on how large future Pyramids are.  I would imagine that there is always a beginning point into the Sacred Precinct, a covered or 'view blocked' transition and an exit where you can walk towards the Pyramid single face and see it rise above you.  The perspective of the Pyramid flattens as you approach its great pathway until you can imagine it as a pathway as grand as the Nile itself.

Southern Tomb (2): I am not surprised to learn about a smaller version of the underground temple on the south side.  In fact I immediately was looking for a place where a model of the Pyramid itself would of sat and that South East corner looked especially fertile, where the Pharaoh could see the model while watching the actual Pyramid get built.  This certainly would of been done as the Architect could then easily direct the workers on what needed to be accomplished as well as show the design to the Pharaoh.  There is a little patch of rubble in the South West corner within the Great Court, but I have no idea what that little patch is... it could just be some stone workers today are using to make temporary repairs.  The fact that it is loosely in a square shape certainly peeks my interest, but I must admit that they are probably salvaged stones.

If they are not, the 'rubble' on the ground near '3' between this location and the Pyramid itself reminds me of footing blocks that, if they are actual remnants of the excavation exactly where found, could of supported perhaps a wooden mockup of the Pyramid that when viewed from the correct angle would echo exactly the final Pyramid. That is, it would be an exact scale model of the Pyramid and would allow one to imagine what the final Pyramid would actually look like at full size in it's final location.  Since I have not found a good photo of this stones, it is truly hard to say... as mentioned before, they are probably salvaged stone from a nearby wall.

To learn more about the precinct of Djoser and the Step Pyramid and for image credits, go HERE. (www.odysseyadventures.ca/articles/saqqara/saqqara_text.htm)

Good tour of site:

Was ImHotep smart enough? (Part 5)

Topic moved to Set In Stone website