History & CultureHow it works
How Egyptians dragged multi-tonne stones across the desert.
The blocks of the Great Pyramid weigh over two tonnes on average and were hauled on wooden sledges. A wall painting in the tomb of Djehutihotep, around 1900 BC, shows a man pouring water before the sledge. Physicists in Amsterdam showed why in 2014: damp sand forms capillary bridges, stiffens, and halves the friction. Half as many workers were needed.
Useful: When an ancient picture shows an odd detail, it's often an instruction manual.
Source: en.wikipedia.org